


Santa Baby

by Ria84



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Devoted Reylo, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Grinch Rehab, Hallmark Reylo, Happy Ending, Luke is a meddler, Miscommunication, Non-Hallmark Sanctioned Salty langugae, Oral Sex, Reylo - Freeform, Reylo Christmas, Roux vibes, Slow Burn, Soft Ben Solo, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, work enemies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-08-27 23:22:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16711966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ria84/pseuds/Ria84
Summary: Christmas is Rey's favorite time of year; snow, sweet treats, decorations and cheer. But her holiday train comes to a halt when her boss teams her up with the mercurial Ben Solo, the resident office Grinch.Rey has never backed down from a challenge in her life, and she is not about to let a little thing like having to work with her office nemesis get in her way to success.Shenanigans ensue!***I watch a LOT of Christmas specials and I swear they are ALL great fits for Reylo! The outline of this story is based on "With Love, Christmas" a terribly delicious cheesy Christmas treat of a movie.The smut though, that's original *wink





	1. Ho!Ho!Ho!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you my love @newerconstellations for taking the time to beta this for me :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you my love @newerconstellations for taking the time to beta this for me :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this bit of Christmas Peppermint Bark Reylo :) 
> 
> This is part of the Plaidam House of the TWD Winter Love Fics - make sure you check out the collection :)

Crystalline snowflakes genlty landed on her red wool knee-length coat as she strolled through the busy streets of downtown Denver feeling like she was starring in her very own Irving Berlin production.

 

The businesses and store fronts were festively decorated with twinkle lights, sparkling snowflakes and a number of whimsical forest critters donning jolly outfits and Santa hats. The fresh balsam permeating the air and the crispness of clean snow seemed to somehow filter out the scent of traffic and brought the general business on the streets of the city to a slow crawl.

 

On her way to the office, Rey stopped as she always did at the Takodana Café; only this morning her steps were speckled with some extra pep as today was the debut of her favorite holiday treat – the peppermint marshmallow mocha.

 

The first Monday after Thanksgiving was one of her favorite days of the entire year. Maybe a little odd, sure, but to Rey Ford it meant the kick off to the holiday season.

 

_Is it entirely acceptable for a full grown adult woman of 26 to be this excited about ingesting at least 400 calories before breakfast on a daily basis? Nope. Do I care? Noooope._

Rey smiled to herself as she hummed one of her favorite Christmas tunes and sauntered through the glass doors of Rebel Agency, where her self-proclaimed “work wife’ Rose Tico was eagerly expecting her.

 

_Don’t love that look. She’s up to something again._

Rey sighed as she handed her friend the sugary beverage.

 

“So there’s this guys in my building…”

 

“No”

 

“Can I at least tell you about him? Oh em gee is this peppermint?” Rose squeaked and Rey was more than happy about the change in subject.

 

“Yes to the peppermint, no to whatever gremlin you’re planning on setting me up with this time Rose.”

 

Rose gulped down the mouthful of coffee and huffed with mock indignation “He’s not a gremlin! He’s cute! He’s a police officer and he has a kitten.”

 

“No.” Rey continued walking with the small brunette in tow to their shared cubicle.

 

“Come on Rey, it’s almost Christmas, what do you have to lose?”

 

“Ugh, ok fine. One date. But if he shows up in a cat sweater I am out.”

 

Rose clapped her hands victoriously “Great because I already gave him your number”.

 

A purposeful surly throat clearing stopped Rey before she could scold the little meddler.

 

_Ugh why would the universe make such a gorgeous packaging for such a prickly asshole?_

“God morning Ben!” her greeting came excessively cheery, even for Rey.

 

“Morning” he mumbled in a curt tone as he dumped his messenger bag on the desk next to Rose’s. The cube farm set up was a double-edge sword; on one hand, it gave her the opportunity to mix and mingle with Rose and Phasma all day.

 

On the other hand, they had to share space with the crabbiest 35-year-old to have ever walked on God’s green earth, so the fun had to be very much kept on the down-low.

 

While Rose and Phasma had long ago decided that it was not worth the effort to feign any more civility towards Ben Solo that was dictated by the rules of polite society, Rey still tried.

 

“Did you have a good weekend” she asked as he scrolled through his emails, avoiding her eye contact.

 

“I did.”

 

“Did you see the Christmas tree in Aalderan Park, they lit it last night.”

 

“I did not.” He stood and straightened his tie, brushing the hair out of his face.

 

_Who fucking wears a three-piece suit to work every day in 2018?_

 

“Good luck today Ben” she said as he nodded to her offhandedly. She could not understand why she found him so attractive. He was such a jerk and she had every reason to despise him, yet day after day she had to actively stop herself from fantasizing about climbing in his lap and messing up his perfectly pressed outfit.

 

“Should’ve been yours” Rose huffed and swiveled her chair to face her.

 

“What” Rey felt her cheeks flushed, embarrassed that she was so transparent in her leering.

 

“The Empire Cellular account. The Christmas campaign should be all yours. I mean…honestly!” Rose raised her arms to encompass all that was their shared workspace, which resembled Santa’s workshop more than a professional work station thanks to Rey’s borderline obsessed decorating.

 

“I don’t own Christmas, Rose.”

 

Rose scrutinized her with her pointed stare and pursed her lips, giving her a look Rey knew as utter disapproval “You know what your problem is Rey? You’re too nice.”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with being nice.”

 

“Sure there is. You stayed quiet while your arch nemesis bid on a project that was tailor-made for you and you just agreed to go on a date with a crazy cat man you’ve never met.”

 

“Hey! You’re the one who set it up! And you said he’s not crazy.”

 

A frazzled Amylyn Holdo suddenly interrupted the conversation with an obnoxious knock on the side panel of the cubicle “Rey, I need you to stay late and help me with the photography for the Raddus add; Teedo bailed and we need to find someone to commit to the shoot in two weeks.”

 

“Amylyn, there’s 4 weeks left until Christmas, finding a photographer with that kind of tight turnaround not to mention availability is next to impossible! “

 

“Please Rey, you’re so good a schmoozing and you practically know everyone in the industry. It would be massively helpful.”

 

“Alright. I guess I could make some calls, but I don’t guarantee anything.” There was no way she could refuse; Rey was inherently a people pleaser and she could never turn away from lending a helping hand.

 

“Ah fantastic! I knew I could count on you!”

 

Rose gave her a sassy _I told you so_ glance, with a dash of side eye.

 

“I know. I know. You maybe onto to something here Rose.” Rey slumped in her chair, thinking about possibly re-examining her priorities in life; the old adage was true – nice guys finished last and she was growing tired of it.

 

The morning dragged and a few hours later it was time for their office staff meeting.

 

Luke Skywalker always held his meetings in the bull pen where all the agents worked. He never liked formal gatherings, it was his philosophy that too much formality in the workplace stifled creativity.

 

“Alright everyone, gather around, time for the Secret Santa pick. As most of you know, this is a long standing office tradition started by my mother and we take it very seriously. It is not just about the gift – although $50 for a meaningful gift is a challenge in itself. It’s about getting to know one of your co-workers better, about forming a connection.”

 

Rey’s eyes immediately drifted to Ben Solo, who seemed more uncomfortable than he usually did around these gatherings. She’d often wondered how he was such a successful salesman when it seemed like socializing with his peers was the most painful thing he could go through.

She also wondered, more often than she should and certainly more often than HR would sanction, what was under that perfect suit. The way the crisp white shirt was always draped so flawlessly over his broad frame was the source of many a day-dream.

 

_Too bad he ruins it all with his personality._

 

Luke’s voice brought her out of her daydream; “You all know Secret Santa is serious business in this office and without further ado Rose here has a stocking filled with all your co-worker’s names; pick one. This is your secret Santa charge.”

 

“I’m going to pass.” Ben Solo whispered under his breath when Rose made her way to him for his turn at the stocking.

 

“Ah ah ah!” Luke tutted. “This is a mandatory office event Ben Solo, there’s no sitting this one out. Besides, it’ll give you a chance to chat up your co-workers. You’ve been here for almost a year and you barely know everyone.”

 

_Did Ben Solo just roll his eyes? What a brat!_

“You have four weeks until the Christmas party. We work for an advertising agency people, it’s sort of your job to know what people want. Now off you go, my little merry elves.”

 

Rey pulled her hand out of the hat and eagerly unfolded the crisp piece of paper.

_This is going to be a long December._

 

Rey sighed and tucked the note paper away in her top drawer. She shouldn’t have been surprised in any way that it was Ben Solo’s name she had drawn.

 

 

The rest of the week dragged but knowing she got to spend Friday afternoon shopping got her through it. She should’ve been enjoying every single minute of the holiday pageantry all around her, but she was uncharacteristically not up for it.

 

 

“What do you think this says?” Finn handed her a piece of construction paper, folded neatly and adorned with a colorful and yet ambiguous drawing in, labeled with equally ambiguous crayon scribbling.

 

Rey inspected the drawing, quickly rotating it, as if looking at it from a different angle would somehow add clarity “Spaceship?”

 

Finn huffed out a frustrated breath “Next year, BeBe is writing Santa from his iPad!”

 

Rey giggled as they were strolling about the massive department store; she always joined her brother for Christmas shopping. Really, she was part of all their family holiday festivities. Finn and Poe had never made her feel like a third wheel and even when their son BeBe came into their lives, they continued to treat her as part of the club.

 

It didn’t occur very often, but there had been times through the years where Rey had wished for her own little family with their own traditions.

 

For some unexplained reason, this was weighing heavily on her mind right now.

 

It may have had something to do with her secret Santa charge whose constant sour mood and general crustiness was making her feel like she was setting herself up for failure. How could she possibly get the perfect gift for the beautiful man who hates Christmas?

 

It could have something to do with what Rose had said to her earlier in the week, making her evaluate some of the life choices she’s made.

 

It could just be the excessively crowded store she’s suddenly noticing and it was irritating her or a combination of all these factors but her mood had taken a nose dive and she was quickly spiraling.

 

Without being entirely sure what he was talking about, she interrupted Finn “Do you think I’m a pushover”

 

“Well that’s very apropos of nothing! Umm…No?” Finn shifted his weight uncomfortably, subtly letting her know he’d rather not go there right now.

“Are you just saying that to spare my feelings?”

 

Finn continued sheepishly “Well…you’re just…”

 

“Nice?” Rey finished his sentence brusquely.

 

Her brother regarded her with kind understanding eyes, like he always did when she was being wholly unreasonable. “Rey baby, there is nothing wrong with being nice ok? But there are times where it’s ok to just put yourself first. Like at work for instance. “

 

Rey lost all interest in continuing this conversation just as suddenly as she just started. She really just wanted to lash out at someone and her brother was not the appropriate target for her misplaced fury. A fury she could not attribute to one specific factor yet.

 

Instead, she darted towards a hat stand where she examined several options in detail, purposely avoiding Finn’s worried gaze she could see through her peripherals.

 

“Do you have any clue what I could get BeBe?” she asked, decidedly changing the subject. “What do you think of this?” she fiddled absently with a ball cap.

 

“I don’t think BeBe is old enough to have declared an allegiance to a ball club. And this would be a bold choice in Colorado.”

 

Rey looked at him, unreasonably annoyed that he wasn’t following her train of thought. “Not for BeBe, for my secret Santa.”

 

“Oh. Does he like the Boston Red Sox?”

 

_Damn!_

“I don’t know?”

 

“What does he like”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Why don’t you ask?”

 

“Because it’s _secret_ Santa…” she was behaving like a child getting ready to pitch a fit and yet Finn was completely civil.

 

“So….do a little undercover work.” He winked at her as he went back to meticulously inspecting irrationally overpriced men’s cashmere sweaters.

 

This Friday night had been planned well in advance; after she was done shopping, Rey had a date with her Douglas Fir, White Christmas and a mug of hot chocolate.

 

After mounting the faux tree in its stand and adding a generous chunk of her favorite white chocolate to her frothy beverage, she was ready to decorate.

 

Except…well except she didn’t feel like it. She was still in a bad mood, a non-Christmas tree decorating mood.

 

Normally, she would take her time opening the carefully packed boxes containing all the treasures she’s collected through the years; ornaments she’s brought back from her travels, heirlooms passed on from Maz that had always made Christmas magical for her and Finn growing up, and tiny decorations she bought herself just because she could.

 

But right now, the task of taking them out seemed daunting.

 

This would bother her to no end if she didn’t do anything about it; she knew she had to try something.

 

She flipped open her laptop, fired up the internet search engine to the Hotmail login page and after a few moments spent setting up, she typed a short message:

_From:_ [ _Sectet.santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Sectet.santa@hotmail.com)

_What are some of your favorite things? Sincerely your secret Santa._

The reply came instantly:

From: [Ben.Solo@rebel.com](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_I’m really busy working here, just get me a tie._

“A tie? What a fucking dick! Can you believe this Artoo?” she shouted but the grey and white kitten seemed very disinterested in her ramblings, lazily turning over on his pillow and carrying on with his gnawing of Christmas ribbons.

 

Rey was pacing around her apartment, taking furious sips of her hot chocolate when she came to a realization: Ben Solo was the entire reason behind her sudden lack of festive spirit. He was a jerk who stole her account for Empire right from under her nose because she let him have it.

 

He was the source of all her aggravation, the reason she’d been moping around all week. His disinterest in this office tradition and his utter dismissal of her efforts made her feel inadequate and it was the last straw.

 

Rey Ford had never backed down from a challenge and this was personal. She _will_ find him the most exquisitely perfect present and make his frozen heart melt. Then, she will take back what was rightfully hers.

 

_Ben Solo will turn! Into a decent person. But first…decorating!_

She also made a mental note to schedule an appointment with her therapist; this may not be an entirely reasonable reaction to this particular situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I noted in the description, I adapted the plot of Love, Christmas to Reylo, it just seemed to fit! But if you've seen the movie, you.'' know I've taken quite a few liberties!   
> And we will live up to the E rating, if these two can manage to get along :)
> 
> Next up, Ben's POV!


	2. Frosty the Snowman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's POV - why is he such a grumpy thing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys SO much! OMG I did not expect so much love for this! Here's a bit more :)
> 
> To my CaP ladies, so much love!!!

None of the other staffers seemed to be aware of his relationship with Luke Skywalker and that suited him just fine; he was incredibly successful and great at his job and in no way was that owed to anything other than his own efforts. The last thing he wanted was the implication of his career being built on a foundation of preferential treatment and nepotism.

 

He had agreed to work for his uncle last year, after he was able to get out of his contract with First Order printing with more involvement from his mother than he would’ve liked; none being the ideal amount.

 

As if sensing his discomfort and getting some twisted joy out of watching him squirm, Luke had assigned him to a shared cubicle. He’d met the other cube-mates first; the female versions of Ren and Stimpy got under his nerves immediately with their never-ending banter and giggling first thing in the morning.

 

He’d swiveled in his chair facing the office entrance while rubbing his temples in an attempt to keep his budding headache at bay, when the doors open and he saw her. She strode in through the open doors and in an exceedingly clichéd sort of way time stood still. She was the most exquisite woman he had ever seen; her voluptuous chestnut hair bounced in perfect loose curls around her shoulders, framing the gorgeous face. She had beaming smile and her eyes shined as she made her way towards his desk, greeting everyone in her path. She was clearly well liked by everyone, but who wouldn’t?

 

“Good morning! You must be Ben. I’m Rey”

 

He knew at the time that his jaw had dropped, mouth agape like a complete fucking idiot, his non-poker face displaying every single emotion to her. Fuck! Of course _this_ was Rey.

 

He hated her before they met in person; it seemed like every other word coming out of Luke’s mouth pertained to the wonder that was _Rey._ She’d been an intern at Rebel and under his uncle’s tutelage she’d mastered the finer details of being and advertising sales pro in record time.

 

“Ah, the girl I’ve heard so much about.” He said drily, shaking her hand and swiveling back to face his computer.

 

Luke always referred to her as a prodigy and she’d been on his short list for taking over the business once he retired. Of course, Luke had assured Ben that he was always in the running to take over the business, after all, this was a family enterprise. Ben was not afraid of hard work and he would give a hundred and ten percent effort to the job, he wanted to prove himself worthy of the legacy. But he knew that deep down, Luke had already chosen her.

 

That was months ago.

 

Every day since then, he had suffered. He detested her with every fiber of his being and yet, there was nothing else he would’ve liked better than to clear his desk and bend her over it.

 

She was a colossal distraction and he felt like a pathetic man-child pining over a girl he also begrudged so much.

 

Ben Solo was never keen on spending time socializing with his work peers on any given day, but Monday had been particularly irritating. He’d woken up late after staying up all night touching up his presentation for the Empire Christmas campaign pitch. He hadn’t even had time to get himself a coffee and the squeaking at his desk was extra loud this morning.

 

_Holy fucking shit it looks like the god damned North Pole in here._

 

He shut down all attempts Rey had made at small talk; he was not get distracted by her today. Even though she was so thoughtful and wished him good luck in the sweetest manner ever. Even though he would be ok with going to see the stupid tree in Alderaan Park with her to watch her face light up with joy as it always did when she talked about Christmas.

 

_You are a ridiculous fucking mess Solo. Now focus, it’s show time!_

He chided himself as he walked into the meeting.

 

***

His pitch was focused on the sleek aspects of Empire’s new phone. The story boards displayed a black and white esthetic, focusing on the crisp new technology of the phone.

 

“Stark white letters, sleek and modern. Empire.” Ben finished narrating the commercial as the lights turned on.

 

“Well Solo, you certainly have familiarized yourself with our new phone. You clearly know every single of the new features which is so impressive. But this is supposed to be our holiday campaign. Where is the Christmas spirit?”

 

Uncharacteristically, Ben stuttered “Well sir, there’s trees and snow…”

 

“That still doesn’t sell me” his client replied gruffly, the mood in the board room immediately becoming thick with tension. Ben straightened his posture and stood tall, looming over the entire gathering.

 

“Mr. Ackbar, no offence but we are trying to sell cell phones.”

 

The older man responded in a softer voice but in not showing any sign that he was in any way intimidated. “Last year, our competitor’s Christmas campaign add was shared over 3 million times over Instagram in the first 5 days of their launch. It was a little girl who sent a face time message to Santa. It was touching and sweet. And very much not what you’ve presented me here.”

 

Ben swore his throat had instantly dried up as he dry-swallowed and tried to prepare himself for Ackbar’s next words.

 

“Now I’ll be honest, we are looking at multiple agencies for this and even considering some in Canada. Ben, you promised me that I would not be disappointed and you’ve never let me down before, so I will give you another chance. You have until the end of next week to make your pitch, but if this is the best you can come up with, don’t bother coming to the table.”

 

Clients being less than thrilled with anything Ben had presented was not something he’d ever dealt with. This was new and unfamiliar territory and he had no idea how to react and was entirely tongue-tied.

“Thank you Mr. Ackbar, I guarantee you’ll be happy with what we will propose, I promise we’ll come up with something that will knock your socks off!” Luke chimed in, patting Ackbar on the back as he stood to end the meeting.

 

“You better deliver” were the only words he had for Ben as he and Luke exited the meeting.

 

And as if that hadn’t soured him enough, Luke just had to hold his ridiculous asinine Secret Santa meeting and publicly shamed him into participation.

 

He looked at the name on the piece of paper he drew from Rose Tico’s stocking and sighed. Surely this was the universe punishing him for past trespasses.

 

_Rey fucking Ford. This is the longest fucking Monday in the history of Mondays._

***

The remainder of the week had flown by as he put in a solid 50 hours into researching and developing several other marketing concepts.

 

Friday night he was at his favorite café, working of course, when his email pinged.

 

_What the actual fuck!_

His office Secret Santa was a massive pain in the ass and he absolutely had no time to deal with this. Besides interrupting his work, this unwelcome intrusion had brought to the forefront of his mind the fact that he has Rey as his person to buy for and he can’t even begin to fathom what he could get her.

 

The idea of a Christmas red lacy pair of panties came to mind. But he detested her so they would be uncomfortable. And maybe they were so uncomfortable that she would ask him for his help to remove them…

 

_Why are you such a loser?_

 

He shook the thought away as quickly as it came and focused back on his drudgery.

 

 

The following Monday, Ben arrived at the office early for the meeting Luke scheduled with him first thing in the morning.

 

As he’d made his way to his uncle’s space, he noticed Rey making her way purposely towards the same office.

 

He cleared his throat as she stood next to him, reaching for the door knob “If you need to speak to Skywalker, you’re going to have to wait, he asked to see me.”

 

Rey blinked up at him, a small crinkle between her brows was the only sign of annoyance he could read on her face. “Actually, she sent me a meeting appointment as well.”

 

The entered the office together, Luke welcoming them in an entirely too-peppy tone of voice.

 

“Good morning, come in, have a seat.”

 

Rey and Ben sat down, patiently waiting for him to continue.

 

“Rey, you’re familiar with the Empire account right?”.

 

_Fuck no!_

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

His uncle smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Good. I’ve decided to team you two up.”

 

Ben could feel the bile rising in his throat, waiting to bubble out as uncontrolled word vomit.

“What! that’s not necessary I have it all under control” Ben heard himself whine but he was not about to let her just take what was his. He continued, engaging his craftiest salesman performance. “And Rey is so busy as is, she doesn’t even want to do it, right?”

 

Rey stammered “Well…no …yeah you’re right Ben, I am pretty swamped.”

 

Luke didn’t seem swayed in any measure “This is not a punishment Ben. Rey has a certain quality that she can bring to the project. You’ll make a great team. I don’t need to tell you that this is a big opportunity for this agency; a client like Empire would mean playing ball in the big leagues.”

 

“But I’ve already spent all last week and the weekend researching and pouring over market data…”

 

“Ben. I’ve made up my mind. Rey, this is going to be your top priority. Just slide all your other projects to Jess temporarily. You two need to band together on this.” Luke’s decision was final and Ben was seething.

 

Why was Luke doing this? If he wanted Rey Ford to have this, he should’ve just given it to her. Why put him through this whole song and dance.

 

As if he could read his mind, Luke smirked at them as he purred his fingers together in satisfaction. “I have a good feeling about this partnership. “

 

_I have a bad feeling about this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what's the happs with Tumblr right now but I'm just hoping they change their minds and continue to allow everyone to express themselves freely.


	3. That's Christmas to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben try to work together and it doesn't end up in a total catastrophe!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm beyond excited about the response this story has gotten! you guys are so amazing and I love you all so much!!!!  
> Thanks to the ladies of the Den and my CaP Heaux ;)  
> I also have a special cameo in here, let me know if you find her!   
> xoxo

 “Have you ever used an Empire cell? You can’t sell what you don’t know Ford.” he asked in a tone of voice so condescending that it rushed all her blood to her face, making her feel overheated.

 

“Yes. I also own said phone.” _You pompous asshole._

Working with Ben solo was trying. They spent a total of five minutes huddled around the brainstorming workstation (Rey’s favorite part of the entire office design) in the middle of the office space when they started shouting at each other.

 

“Then you know all about its massive memory capacity, the sharpness of the video chat capabilities, the ability to load excel sheets…”

 

“Do you suggest we put Santa in a business suit and have him doing his shopping online?” The sarcasm dripping from Rey’s reply seemed to have somehow gone over his head because he lit up.

 

“Yes, I love that!”

 

She was purposely side-eying him “I was clearly joking. We need to bring more heart to this; we want people to be associating Empire with Christmas. And Christmas is not about slick business applications; Christmas is magical.”

 

Ben huffed with irritation “The only thing magical about Christmas are the sales numbers.”

 

_Wow._

Not willing to throw in the towel, Rey changed her approach “Ok I have an idea. Why don’t you tell me about your favorite Christmas memory?”

 

“Last year I went skiing in Montana.”

 

“With your family.”

“No.” she wanted to throttle him with that stiff tie he always wore, but the way he’d just scrunched his face at the mention of family sent a wave of sympathy through her. His dark expressive eyes were so sad, Rey felt an instant urge to wrap her arms around him and hug him until whatever was hurting him didn’t matter anymore.

 

“Let’s just go our separate ways and see what we come up with and reconvene tomorrow, when you’re done pushing your agenda. I’m about done collaborating for today.”

 

_….And back to hating you._

“Skywalker wants us to work together on this Solo!”

 

“We will. But it would be better for each of us to brain storm ideas and come back to the table tomorrow. We have a few days to get this right and sitting here talking about holidays is not bringing us anywhere.”

 

With those final words he stood up and sauntered over to his desk, donning his ear buds and tuning out everyone around him.

 

_What a dick!_

_***_

Back at home, after she’d spend a few hours icing gingerbread men and on her second glass of chardonnay, Rey decided to give operation Secret Santa another try. She turned on her laptop and quickly typed another email.

 

_From:_ [ _Sectet.santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Sectet.santa@hotmail.com)

_We are all out of ties here at the North Pole. Do you like to read? Maybe you’re a sports fan?_

While waiting for a reply, she peeked at the gingerbread man in the middle of the cookie sheet, feeling remorse. He was wearing a dashing necktie made out of red icing and was entirely missing his head.

 

Her email alerted her to the incoming message and she jumped to open it.

 

From: [Ben.Solo@rebel.com](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_Why is it important that you get me the perfect gift? It’s just a stupid office tradition, we’re not best friends._

_From:_ [ _Sectet.santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Sectet.santa@hotmail.com)

_Not yet we’re not! And I want to get you something you will actually like. The best presents always come from Santa._

 

From: [Ben.Solo@rebel.com](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_If I promise to come up with some ideas for you, will you stop pestering me tonight? I’m really busy._

_From:_ [ _Sectet.santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Sectet.santa@hotmail.com)

_That’s the spirit! I’ll hold you to it._

He didn’t write her back, but Rey was happy to see some of the chinks in his armor starting to loosen. She also made it a priority to re-attach the gingerbread head to her special little pastry man.

 

In the morning she picked him up a coffee at Takodana, making the safe bet in assuming he liked his black.

 

_Like his cold dead heart._

She found him sitting at his desk in their shared work space, fiddling anxiously with his pen.

 

_Maybe more caffeine isn’t the best idea…_

As if he could read her thoughts, Ben turned to her and smiled. Well…his version of a smile at least. A barely noticeable smirk.

 

“Good morning, are you ready to work partner.” Rey uttered cheerfully, trying to make up for the awful things she had thought about him for the last 24 hours.

 

“Sure pull up a chair.” He invited her after gracefully accepting the coffee offering.

 

“I want to start over if that’s ok with you? Skywalker has his reasons for bringing you in on this project and we should make the most of this partnership.” Rey wordlessly nodded her agreement, swallowing the mouthful of sinfully sweet coffee she’d just held and letting him continue.

 

“Ok great! I’ve used this phone for a month. The technological aspects of this phone are clear although the biggest improvements have been for the video chatting capabilities - smooth video, crisp sound.”

 

“Finn and I video chatted our entire thanksgiving with our foster mom.” Rey picked up his train of thought, eager to contribute to the conversation. “She couldn’t make the drive down from Canada so he and I dialed her in. She joined us for the entire day, the cooking, the football games, the dinner. It was…”

 

“A pain in the ass?” he was watching her intently, this brows creasing as he spoke.

 

“What? No! it was wonderful. My brother and I got to spend the holiday with her and no one missed out on anything. You know the old saying; Christmas doesn’t come from the store? It is about spending it with the people you love”

 

“No. Christmas is about people spending money they don’t have on crap people don’t want. Our job here is to make people believe Christmas _only_ comes from a store. And what that store sells is Empire cell phones.”

 

Rey was taken aback by his cynicism.

 

“Wow! Ok, we need to get you out of the office for some Christmas recon, I don’t think you fully understand how this season works.”

 

He scoffed at her but didn’t shut the idea down entirely “You want to stalk a mall Santa and get super depressed?”

 

“Funny. No. There’s a tree farm just outside of Lakewood that’s hosting a huge Christmas market right now; I think we should go check it out, maybe get you in the spirit? You did say you can’t sell what you don’t know right? Well you, my friend, do not know anything about Christmas.”

 

 

“Whatever. We can go but don’t expect some sort of Scrooge-like epiphany from me. I don’t get why people get so amped up over it and I doubt a visit to a Christmas market will change that. But it beats hanging around the office.”

 

 

With that he stood up from his chair and slid his arms into the black, obviously-designer coat, waiting for her to bundle up.

 

The drive didn’t take long but Rey couldn’t stop fidgeting. This was the first time she’d ever been completely alone with him and in such a small space she felt like she was running out of air.

 

It never occurred to her how large he was in actuality; his hands dwarfed the steering wheel and gear shift. They were enormous and she could not stop her mind from wondering if everything about him was proportionate.

 

_Cue more fidgeting._

 

“Here we are. The fucking nightmare before Christmas. Let’s do this Ford, before I change my mind.”

 

 A nervous giggle escaped her lips, feeling a pang of shame for all the ogling she’d been so actively engaged in, but there was no way he could know the nature of her thoughts, right?

 

 

“Ok Ben, what do you see?” she swung her arms around in an attempt to show case the entire market.

 

There were stands selling anything from jewelry to home-made baking to decorations. A large sitting area around a lit fire pit was swarmed with people and in the middle of the whimsically decorated space, a ten-foot live Christmas tree stood tall, presiding over the entire affair.

 

_Magic._

“Germs, crowds, misery”

 

“No! It’s love and happiness and a sense of wonder.” Rey barked out and startled him into silence. “Look at those little kids waiting for Santa; this is the best day for them because they get to meet him and when they return home they will go to sleep hopeful that come Christmas morning, they will get everything they wished for. That’s what we need to evoke in people. A sense of melancholy to their happy memories and showcase our phone in such a way that will have them associate it with their version of Christmas.”

 

He seemed to consider her for a moment, before replying quietly “ I don’t have those kinds of Christmas memories.”

 

Her icy ire melted as once again she saw his face change. There was something broken inside of him, buried deep down but Christmas seemed to bring it up to the surface.

 

 Now was not the time to tug at any threads however, so she changed the subject, cheerily linking her arm inside the crook of elbow “We need to get you up to speed Grinchy” she chirped as she towed him towards a row of vendors.

 

“This is Lindsay; she makes the best whipped short bread cookies you’ll ever eat. Hi Linds! This is my co-worker Ben.” She introduced him to the brunette with a striking smile and delicate porcelain doll-like features.

 

“Hi Ben, what can I get you.”

“A dozen of your whipped short bread special, please. You have got to try these, they melt in your mouth.” Rey was salivating, temporarily forgetting all about her purpose. When it came to food and sweets in particular, she had an addiction.

 

“I don’t eat sugar.”

 

“No. Sugar.” She repeated, not understanding what he was saying.

 

“Not if I can help it.” Ben replied dryly, wrinkling his nose as she shoved a cookie between his parted lips.

 

“Come one it’s all part of the experience. Christmas is all around you and if appeals to all your senses. You see the sights, you smell the smells and you taste the taste. So?” she grinned at him as she stuffed an entire cookie in her mouth, closing her eyes with satisfaction.

 

‘It’s ok.” He shrugged his shoulders with indifference. But before the embers of her indignation could be lit again, he lowered his gaze to hers and gently traced the corner of her bottom lip with his thumb. The touch was feather light but it sent shivers running down the length of her spine, her mind blanking entirely.

 

“You had a crumb.” He explained in a husky voice.

 

_Has his voice always been this velvety?_

She cleared her throat, feeling relieved but saddened by the loss of contact as he made more space between them.

 

“Ok. These cookies remind me of me and Finn baking cookies with our foster mom. We would spend all day in Maz’s kitchen, getting in her way, making a huge mess and eating more than one human’s share of sugar. Those were the best memories I have of my child hood. When I have a bite of this cookie, it brings me back to those movements and I feel happy. That’s what Christmas means to me.”

 

 

He seemed to be digesting her words now, nodding as they slowly walked towards a booth displaying an array of artisan jewelry where they were greeted by a jolly blonde man.

 

Ben was fiddling with an assortment of bangles and held one up for closer inspection. “What do you think of this?”

 

“Who is this for?”

 

“My Secret Santa person.”

 

“Oh! Look at you getting into the spirit of things! Does she wear bracelets?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Why don’t you tell me who she is an I’ll give you some info” Rey grinned up at him.

 

He smirked, lifting his eyes from the bracelet to meet hers “Nice try.”

 

Rey shrugged and giggled.

 

“Well ok, some women love bangles. Women like me however, who draw and type a lot, don’t because they tend to slide down the arm and bang against the desk, or the keyboard making that annoying clicking sound.”

 

“I guess I know nothing about women huh?” he huffed looking somewhat deflated.

 

“Wow look at these snowflakes earrings! My foster mom had a pair just like them when we were little and she wore them every Christmas.”

 

“Those are pretty.” He acknowledged as his eyes found hers again and lingered for a long moment, warming her up from head to toe.

“Oh look! Carols. They’re singing _Deck the Halls”_ she squealed and dragged him by the sleeve of his coat.

 

“No. Fuck no!” he exclaimed but he was already following her without much of a fight.

 

He didn’t sing, but he stood there with her and that was good enough.

 

The drive home was the shortest half hour of Rey’s entire life; there were so many things she wanted to ask, but she was afraid to push him, not wanting him to freeze up on her again. She’d enjoyed seeing him thaw and open himself up to some fun.

 

_Maybe he’s less of a dick than I had originally thought._

She opted to watch the emerald greenery of the pine forest slowly make way to the bright lights of the city.

 

Definitely not thinking about how the gentle way in which he touched her, akin to a child collecting a falling snowflake on wool mittens, careful not to crush it, careful not to let it melt, made her feel delicate. Like he treasured her.

 

Did he?

 

“Here you are, home sweet home.” He interrupted her thoughts as he pulled up to the curb.

 

“Hold up, I got something for you.” Ben reached behind her seat, his sudden closeness making her dizzy. She thought he would smell of expensive cologne but he didn’t. He smelled like mint, fresh balsam and buttercream and Rey was drunk on it.

 

“You didn’t have to get me anything.”

 

“It’s my market strategy research. If you could read it by tomorrow morning and give me some input that would be great.”

 

She took the binder out of his hands and with a vexed huff, Rey unbuckled her seat belt quickly and got out of his car “Will do. See ya tomorrow.”

 

Was it strictly necessary to slam his door like it owed her money? Probably not. But it was damn satisfying.

 

The more she got to know Ben Solo, the more of a mystery he remained.

 

A frustrating, Christmas scented, insanely hot mystery.

 

_Well, damn! I don’t totally hate Ben Solo. Isn’t this a fun new inconvenience!_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's POV next!   
> I'm updating this more than the other stuff I have in my WIP right now just because I'd love to have it all done by the time Christmas rolls around :)


	4. I'll Be Home For Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben shares his theories on popular holiday movies and traditions and the mystery of the Secret Santa deepens :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe the feedback I've been getting from you guys for this story! Thank you so SO much I hope you'll continue to enjoy it!
> 
> Thank you so much to @newerconstellations for the amazing Beta work on this!  
> Thank you also to the lovely @SageMcMae for the gorgeous gifted moodboard for this chapter.

 

 

The way she looked at him as she shoved the cookie in his face was not something he will readily forget. Her hazel eyes adorned with just the tiniest of smile lines glistened in the sunshine, pearly whites beaming from behind the lushest pink lips made him pause and at that moment, all he had wanted was to lean in and kiss her.

 

He didn’t want to get punched in the face and get reported to human resources, however.  Instead he opted for the feeblest of feeble excuses to touch her, somehow locating the tiniest speck of a crumb on her pristine face and removing it. He didn’t maintain complete control however, lingering just a moment too long and relishing in the feel of her skin under his touch.

 

“Good morning!” Rey’s voice startled him out of his daydream. Ben had gotten two hours of sleep at most; the remainder of the night he’d spent tossing and turning, replaying the entire day in his mind.

 

He had fully intended to ask her to have dinner with him, spend the night with him and maybe move in the next morning. But once he was stopped in front of her home, Ben remembered that this was his work nemesis he was fawning over like a fourteen-year-old girl at a Backstreet Boys concert (or whatever the fuck crap boy band kids are listening to these days) and he remembered they had a job to do.

 

At home though, he’d poured himself a tall glass of his favorite black label whiskey and sat in front of the fireplace for hours combing over every single detail of the day in an attempt to decipher what Rey was possibly thinking.

 

He eventually concluded that he was an absolute idiot who needed to get a grip and get his plan right back on track.

 

“Hey.”

 

Rey smiled up at him sweetly, making him buckle. “Still want to work at the café today?”

 

“Yes. Absolutely! I cannot stomach that swill from the breakroom for an extended period of time.”

 

“I know, right? It’s like they’re trying to discourage us from drinking it. Saving the company some solid change, one cup at a time!”

 

“That was probably the meanest thing I’ve ever heard you say, Ford!” Ben chuckled and noticed Rey’s face turning a lovely shade of embarrassed pink.

 

Her smile never faltered as she continued, “I researched all of Empire’s competitor’s ads in the last few years and picked out the ones with the biggest social media impact. It seemed Ackbar prioritized that on his wish list of the Christmas campaign. I included them in our pile.”

 

“Good thinking, Rey.” He hoped he didn’t come off patronizing. He was genuinely impressed with the way she had carved out a niche in the larger project. As much as he hated to admit, Ben was beginning to see why his uncle had added Rey to the project. Maybe it wasn’t a hundred percent his intention to fuck with him?

 

As he made his way to his work area, he noticed something that most certainly hadn’t been there before; in the middle of his desk, surrounded by stacks of neatly organized color-coded binders and folders, was a potted topiary. A brightly decorated, Christmas topiary with a note.

 

_Seemed like you could use a bit of Christmas cheer! XO Secret Santa._

 

Ben didn’t hate it.

 

Finally, after what felt like hours of drudgery, Ben and Rey were able to get away from the office and take their stacks of market research to Takodana.

 

He was itching to ask her and he didn’t even wait until they go to the café. “So, how did you sneak over to my desk without me seeing you this morning?” Ben suspected Rey was his Secret Santa; who else would’ve cared as much about getting him on the side of Christmas?

 

“I wasn’t at your desk, Ben.” She answered with a semi-confused look on her face.

 

He made a point to stop and face her, wanting to see if she was lying. “I know you put the tree on my desk, Rey, you can admit it.”

 

“What tree? Ben, you saw me come in to the office.

 

He took a step closer to her, almost involuntarily lowering his head and closing the distance between them. “You don’t have to pretend, I put it together after the first email.”

 

“You totally lost me”

 

_You are so busted, Ford!_

 

“So you’re saying you’re not my secret Santa?” He regarded her with mock suspicion, certain that he had caught her red handed, when his email pinged.

 

_From:_ _Secret.santa@hotmail.com_

_Make sure you water it ;)_

 

“Oh, guess I was wrong…” he murmured as he regarded his phone with incredulity. He was under the impression that he could care less about this entire thing, but now that he knew Rey wasn’t the one emailing him, he was hit with a wave of disappointment.

 

They walked together to Takodana Café and found a comfortable booth near the back, close to the real wood fireplace, where a small fire was burning. He’d never actually taken the time to look around and notice how cozy and warm this place was. He usually came here for the unquestionably superior coffee, which he consumed in multiples of gallons.

 

Taking in the massive pile of reports and research material they each brought, he sighed. “Looks like we’re going to be here a while.”

 

“What if we did something with reindeer, some sort of adventure where one goes into the city and gets lost…”

 

“No, First Order did that for At-At mobile last year. Besides, it’s a little cutesy Christmas, don’t you think?”

 

“Oh my god, you are such a Grinch!” she exclaimed and giggled; the sweet sound was quickly becoming one of his favorite things.  He couldn’t stop himself from staring at her, cataloguing every micro expression and every small sound she made as she was focusing on her work and now while she was clearly thinking of ways to insult him.  He found a twisted sense of pleasure in fucking with her and getting her riled up.

 

“I think the Grinch is misunderstood. Here’s this retiree, trying to enjoy his quiet holiday in his remote home but has to put up with an entire village of Christmas fanatics. Honestly, I don’t blame him of wanting to make it all stop.”

 

She chewed on her pen when she was concentrating on what he’d just said. It was adorable.

 

“I think you missed the point of the Grinch entirely, Solo. Didn’t you watch it until the end? When he learned the true meaning of Christmas and his heart grew three sizes?”

 

“I think he was just totally peer-pressured into faking goodness. I’m willing to bet if they did a follow up a year later, they would find that he’s sound-proofed his home and he had all his who-hash delivered through Amazon.”

 

Rey looked him up and down with considerable annoyance. “Wow Solo, you are all kinds of fucked up, aren’t you?”

 

He chuckled at the reaction his words had elicited; she was beyond cute when she was filled with righteous indignation. And yes, he really, really was.

 

_For fuck’s sakes, Solo! Get a grip, it’s not like you’re into this chick. She’s a job stealing, Christmas obsessed, lady-asshole whom your family overwhelmingly prefers over you._

 

With that thought, he ceased his unseemly pining and focused on his work.

 

“Oh shit, it’s 6 already!” Rey exclaimed. Somehow what seemed to be moments later had turned out to be hours. “I need to go; I’ll be late for family dinner at my brother’s.”

 

“That’s alright, we’ve been at this for a while now, we can pick it up at the office tomorrow morning.” He couldn’t deny that he was disappointed she was leaving; he’d been basking in the warmth and comfortable silence of their working environment.

 

She suddenly regarded him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You should come,” she squeaked as she downed the last few sips of her coffee and began packing her things.

 

“To your family dinner?” Ben asked while mentally coming up with a list of reasons why this was a terrible idea.

 

“Yah! It’s super caj and they would be happy to have you. Besides, you can’t live on coffee.”

 

He could feel his steely resolve melt away as her smile beamed brighter. “I don’t think so,” was his last futile attempt at turning down her offer.

 

“Come on, a change of scenery might be good for the creativity.”

 

“Ok, fine,” he caved. “But could you please phone ahead and let him know you’re bringing additional guests? I would hate to add awkwardness to your family gathering.”

 

Rey’s brother and his family lived in the suburbs, just a short fifteen-minute ride from Takodana. Ben was feeling nervous though; he was not a people person. In the context of business, he was always professional and outspoken but he always knew what he was going to say. He did his research and had ample amounts of talking points.

 

This unscripted impromptu social situation was uncharted territory. He knew next to nothing about these people and what’s worse, they were Rey’s family. What if they didn’t like him? Not that it would be surprising, but that would suck.

 

_Maybe you should stop fretting like a freshman on prom night, it’s not like you’re dating her, for fucks sakes!_

 

As they pulled up to the charming house, a man who he assumed was Rey’s brother stepped out to greet her, engulfing her in his arms and lifting her off the ground. He felt a twinge of longing watching them embrace, his own family situation being decidedly less Rockwellian than this.

 

“Oh wow, you brought a total stranger to dinner.”  Yup, this exact awkwardness is what he was totally hoping to avoid.

 

“Ben Solo” he reached out his hand to the shorter man, who accepted the greeting with two warm hands.  “I brought wine!” he thanked himself that he had the instinct to make the quick detour to the store.

 

“Welcome!” Ben was glad that he’d listened to his instinct as Finn patted him on the back and corralled them inside his home.

 

Inside he met Finn’s husband Poe, an equally friendly and charming man. Everyone in this family was striking, although none as beautiful as his Rey.

 

_Not mine. Just Rey._

 

They sat down for dinner in the family kitchen, him Rey and Poe taking their seats at the granite island while Finn fussed over getting their son BeBe in his high chair.

 

Ben found himself at ease right away. He usually ate dinner alone and the few and far-in-between family dinners he’s attended had been formal and stiff. Nothing like this.

 

He loved watching Rey eat. There was something so endearing about the way she ate without any pretense, filling her plate to her heart’s content and not shying away from seconds of the things she liked. Which was everything. This girl loved to eat and Ben was all about that, for reasons he did not understand.

 

He was astonished that he didn’t immediately retch when they invited him to stay for their tree decorating; he vehemently abhorred the pointless act of bringing a dirty, sappy tree inside the house, dress it with hundreds of dollars’ worth of Christmas knick-knackery and tasteless bobbles, only to have to take it down mere weeks later.

 

To be fair, this entire day had been very much out of routine. Most of the time he spent away from work was spent on his own. A family dinner and tree trimming was miles off from the usual.

 

He didn’t hate it.

 

Finn and his husband were doing most of the heavy lifting when it came to décor, while Ben and Rey helped little BeBe untangle garlands.

 

Poe smiled at him as he took a break to sip his cabernet. “Ben, how do you and your family celebrate Christmas?”

 

He stiffened up, suddenly feeling like he was being interrogated. “Umm, we don’t really.”

 

Finn gasped with surprise. “No traditions?”

 

Categorically an interrogation. “No. We’re not really close.”

 

_Understatement of the century._

 

As if somehow aware of his rapidly building discomfort, BeBe leapt out of his chair and tugged at his father’s sweater. “Daddy, is it time for the angel?” BeBe asked in an angelic tone of voice, clearly aware of his powers of persuasion.

 

_This kid could probably get away with murder._

 

“Sure thing kiddo! Ready?” Finn lifted him and placed him on his broad shoulders, guiding him to place the angel on top of the tree.

 

Bebe squeaked and clapped his hands, celebrating his successfully completed mission as his father put him down.

 

“Mister Solo?” he took a few little steps and stood in front of him, clasping something behind his back, his big brown eyes sparkling with mischief. He took after his aunt that way.

 

“You can call me Ben.”

 

“Ok, Ben! I have a present for you. Since you don’t have your own Christmas, you can borrow this to decorate your house.” Bebe then presented him with a papier-mache creation vaguely resembling a stocking.

 

“I made it at pre-school today!” he bellowed with pride.

 

“It’s awesome! Thanks, buddy.” Ben held out his hand to receive his gift but to his utter dismay, Bebe leaped into his arms and draped his little chubby hands around his neck.

 

He wasn’t able to articulate exactly what he felt in that moment, but Ben couldn’t bring himself to think about it too much and risk exposing his sentimental side. That was always frowned upon in the Organa-Solo household.

 

He just gave in and relished in the moment, missing the way Rey was silently witnessing the interaction, a bright smile covering her face from ear to ear.

 

They both missed Poe and Finn elbowing each other as they took in the unexpected scene unfolding in their living room.

 

“It’s been good meeting you, man.” Poe shook his hand as he and Finn walked them out at the end of the night.

 

“Thanks for letting me barge in. It’s been a blast! Pass along my thanks to BeBe for the stocking.”

 

“Will do. Hope to see you around!” Finn added as he hugged his sister goodbye. “Later peanut! Don’t forget about cookie night.”

 

“I’ll bring the wine!” Rey winked at him as she walked around to the passenger side of Ben’s car.

 

“Peanut?” Ben asked as Finn and Poe shrunk in his rearview mirror.

 

Rey giggled and turned to face him. “Yah, it’s a childhood nickname.”

 

“It’s cute. It suits you.” He replied before he could think about what he was saying. He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment for a moment.

 

This would normally be the time where he subjected himself to bouts of self-flagellation for being an idiot, but he meant it. It was cute.

 

She was cute.

 

They made it back to her home in no time. This was the second day in a row he’d stopped in front of her place, looking for any reason to keep her in his car a little longer.

 

She smiled a little wider as she unbuckled her belt and angled her body to face him. “Thanks for coming with me Ben. It’s really great getting to know you.”

 

“Rey, your family is wonderful. I hope you realize that.”

 

“I do.”

 

Ben turned his face to say something else as she leaned to hug him goodbye, their faces now less than a hair’s breadth apart.

 

Suddenly his vehicle seemed small. And hot.

 

Just then, they both reeled as an actual spark lit between them, Rey’s sudden shift in the upholstered seats causing the static energy to unfurl.

 

She squeaked and chortled as she said goodnight, leaving him incredibly dazed, questioning himself about his decision making abilities in general.

 

He had missed out on months of potential quality time with this girl, all because he’d been jealous of her.

 

Ben opened his car door and stood in the middle of the street. His momentary certainty that going after Rey was the only thing to do dissipated and gave way to doubt.

 

He ran his hands through his curls, pacing and thinking. If she wanted him to stay, she would’ve asked.

 

Ben returned to his seat inside his unbearably warm car. “I’ve been such a dumbass.” He snarked out loud as he pulled away from the curb, completely unaware about the green eyes carefully scrutinizing him from the second window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the story will live up to it's E rating, and not just in terms of salty language. ;)


	5. A Holly Jolly Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a weird day at the office; Ben continues his dumb-assery while Rey gets some good news!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @newerconstellations for being so generous and beta'in this chapter! I am slowly improving :)  
> And you loves, who read this and leave me wonderful comments, I SO appreciate and love each and every one of you! I hope you're having a good holiday season so far!

 

 

Morning came much too soon, but getting to know Ben was well worth the fatigue.

She’d tossed and turned, getting very little rest as her body seemed to be filled with fireflies of adrenaline and her sleep haunted by a pair of beautiful sad eyes.

Earlier, Rey had watched him get out of the car and she had held her breath as he seemed to debate something. She had hoped and feared in equal amounts, down to her bone marrow, that he would buzz to be let upstairs.

She knew this was still surly Ben Solo, crowned office jerk and cube-mate from hell. Yet watching him with BeBe had completely altered her opinion; he was so sweet and caring towards her nephew and accepted all invitations to merriment without the fuss she would’ve predicted.

If she was being entirely honest with herself, there wasn’t a single molecule in her body that hated him any longer. In fact, her body’s reaction to his proximity had been nothing if not treasonous. Watching his deep dark eyes shine when he laughed warmed her to the core. Seeing those same dark orbs deepen as he gazed at her with hunger singed her skin and filled her with unchecked desire.

There was a better than good chance she was totally smitten with him and that was trouble.  

Just as she was finished sorting out her feelings while incessantly cleaning her kitchen, as she always did when she needed to think, she was startled by the chime of an incoming email.

Removing her rubber yellow gloves and discarding them haphazardly into her sink, she made her way to the coffee table where her computer sat, the sudden activity waking it out of hibernation.

Her heart skipped a beat seeing his name bolded in her inbox.

 _From:_ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_

_Hey Santa, thanks for the tree. I don’t find it nearly as offensive as I expected._

_From:_ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_

_Well, well! Look who’s suddenly infected with the Christmas Spirit. May I ask what brought this on?_

_From:_ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_

_I made some new friends and believe it or not, I spent the night actually enjoying Christmas traditions._

_From:_ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_

_That sounds promising! Is there anything you like to do at Christmas that’s a special treat for you?_

_From:_ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_

_My mom and I used to go to hockey games on Christmas Eve when I was a kid, she’s the ultimate Avalanche fan. But we haven’t done that in ages. Look, I don’t really want to talk about my family right now._

_Tell me something you like Santa. What makes you so happy at Christmas? You have as much spirit as the entire Who-Ville._

Rey cackled at the last line, recalling their earlier conversation and his ridiculous take on the holiday favorite. If she didn’t know any better, she would suspect that he was purposely trying to mess with her.

 _From:_ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_

_I’ll tell you one of my favorite things. When it’s snowing, I like to make myself a cup of hot chocolate, light a fire and sit on my window sill and watch the snowflakes fall. I love the calm way the snow quietly blankets everything, making me feel like I’m living in a snow globe. I can feel my body relaxing as the snowflakes settle all around._

_In fact, I have a fairly sizeable collection of those and even keep some on my desk at work. Every time I look at them it makes me think of those moments of peace; it really helps take away work stress!_

She didn’t get a reply to her last email. He was likely asleep, which was a really smart thing to do, considering it was already 2 am.

***

“Good morning Rey!”

“Hi Ben! You seem pretty happy for this time of the morning.”

“I stayed up all night after I dropped you off at home, my mind was racing.”

“Oh?” she could hear the hopeful trembling in her own voice.

“I was inspired by your family. Between the time we spent together and the research we did, I got so many ideas that  I came up with the perfect pitch.”

“Oh.” Rey winced at the disappointment dripping from her words.”Well, that’s great! Let me take a look at it and I will give you notes when I’m done.”

“There’s no time for that. We have our meeting with Skywalker in ten minutes.”

_What the hell!_

“Ben! We are supposed to be partners in this.”

“Do you trust me?” she nodded her response, all her efforts focused on keeping in her frustration that was trying to escape her body via her tear ducts.

“Great! Let’s go do this, I know he will be happy with this approach.”

Her hands were balled into tight fists at her side, but with a few deep breaths she centered herself and followed him into Luke’s office.

After fifteen minutes of sitting by Ben’s side, completely silent, listening to the presentation he had put together, she wondered where exactly it was that the family inspiration came in. His pitch was dry, focusing on the high-tech aspects of the phone and in no way significantly different from his first attempt.

So it came as no surprise when Luke interrupted him mid-sentence with a huff “No, no, no! Ben no!” He got up from his desk and began pacing in front of his big office window. “This is still sterile. I do like that you’ve introduced a family to the story, rather than just trees and snow, but there is no way families sit around and discuss cell phones like this.”

He stopped his nervous march around the office and looked at them both with concern. “This is a huge opportunity for us, we cannot go back to Ackbar with this. It needs more…”

“More what?” Ben interrupted Luke as his frustration seemed to overflow.

Luke sighed. “More heart Ben. Please guys, go and come back with something that makes more sense, that I can present to Empire and be confident I won’t be yelled at by Ackbar for wasting his time.”

Taking it as her cue to leave, Rey stood and made for the door. “Rey, can you hang back for a moment?”

Ben didn’t wait for another word, leaving the office swiftly, chewing the inside of his cheek, which Rey had quickly learned was one of the tale-tale signs of his discomfort.

“Please have a seat, this will only take amoment.” Luke invited, gesturing to the chair she had been occupying just moment ago.

“As you may have heard, I am planning on retiring at the end of the year. I will stay on as a consultant, to ensure the transition to the new management goes smoothly. The board of directors and I have decided to appoint someone from within the organization. What do you say Rey, is this something that would interest you?”

“Are you kidding? Of course I am interested!” She squealed with excitement, her smile stretching across her face until her cheeks hurt. This was everything she’d been working towards since she first became an intern. She wasn’t expecting the opportunity to arrive so quickly.

“I am ready, Mr. Skywalker!”

“Good! I will announce my decision at the Christmas Party. That gives you and Ben another two weeks to get your pitch and prove to us that you are prepared to take on the responsibilities of the position.”

Her stomach turned into one massive knot “Um...Ben is also in the running?”

Luke regarded her with a glint in his deep blue eyes. “Yes, he is one of the candidates. We’ve been blessed with a lot of talent and we have a selection of aspiring marketing directors.”

She shouldn’t had been surprised. Ben was talented, successful and his clients seemed to love working with him. But competing against him felt wrong.

Wanting him the way she did was also wrong.

After the botched pitch and Luke’s announcement, she was exhausted and fully felt the effects of her late night.

“Hey! How did the meeting go?”

Rey glanced at Rose with a look that did not need any further explanation. “Oh that bad, huh? Well I have just the thing!” Tthe slight brunette passed her a peppermint mocha, bringing back the smile she’d lost somewhere between Luke’s office and watching Ben silently wallow in his misery all morning.

“Yah. We tanked. And what’s worse, I still have no idea what to get him for Christmas.”

“Girl, you are putting in so much more effort than anyone else would with him. Just buy him a tie and stick it in the box. Merry Christmas you hot twat!” Rose had never made it a secret of her feelings towards their cube mate.

“Rose!” she exclaimed with phony outrage. “That’s not very kind. Besides, he’s not as bad as we though. In fact, he’s actually quite sensitive under all those layers of pressed designer outfits and disdain for all mankind.”

“Ah, sure. Whatever you say. I’m assuming you’re still corresponding with him via secret email?” Rose sat on the corner of her desk, dangling her legs as she sipped her own coffee.

“I have actually. And getting to know him while we work has been easier than I thought. I find myself plotting his demise only half the time.”

“How does he not know that it’s you? I mean, who else would put so much effort into finding the perfect gift for Scrooge McDuck?”

Rey stifled her laughter, but couldn’t help shake the image of Ben Solo diving through piles of gold coins. But instead of coins, they were fluffy white snowflakes and instead of a sassy Ducktales robe he was shirtless. And possibly pants-less!

_Jesus Rey, get a hold of yourself! You are clearly delirious from lack of sleep._

She cleared her throat before continuing with her explanation. “Well, he was really hot on my tail actually, but I found that the Empire phone has a feature of sending timed emails. So I timed an email from Secret Santa to be sent to him as we were heading out to Takodana. He looked majorly confused but I’m quite certain he has no idea who it is.”

“Plus, it didn’t hurt that you left that little tree on his desk for me. Thank you for that!”

Rey beamed proudly as Rose nodded, impressed by her ingenuity. She never mentioned the warm visit with her family or the late night conversation.

The two friends laughed and enjoyed their coffee break for a few more moments, before Rose left for her meeting.

Kaydel Connix approached her desk, all lush blonde hair and long legs, wearing a skirt that was flirting with the acceptable lines of their company dress code.

“Hi Rey! How’s it going?”

“Oh, same ol’ same ol’. What’s up, I never see you on this side of the office?”

The blonde approached her and leaned on her desk in the same spot Rose had vacated moments ago. With visitors popping by at this rate, she was not going to accomplish much today.

“So you know Rose pretty well right?” Rey nodded in response. “If one were to inquire about some of her likes, just generally speaking… what would you suggest?”

“Ah, fishing for some Secret Santa info are we?” Rey whispered as she could see Ben’s hulking form approaching their work area, likely returning from a client meeting.

“Maybe?”

“Ok, well maybe I’ll let you know that Rose is totally addicted to the coffee at Takodana and would probably be very excited to get something from there.”

“Thanks Rey!” the leggy blonde made to leave but seemed to time her exit just as Ben reached his desk. She placed her hand on his bicep and lingered there for a moment, greeting him with a sultry “Good morning.”

Rey’s blood instantly bubbled, jealousy clouding her vision as she now suddenly urged to tear out the perfectly groomed extensions right out of Kaydel’s scalp.

_Harry Potter and the audacity of this bitch!_

She scolded herself for getting so worked up over the small gesture as Ben met her eyes and smiled, ever so briefly.

“Hey, do you want to get outta here and get some work done at the café? I feel like that might be a better environment for us to get productive.” She was surprised that he still wanted to work with her; she was almost certain Luke’s rejection would’ve made him turn inward again.

“Absolutely! I’m about ready to blow this popsicle stand!” she answered him and wondered why it was that she always acted like a nerdy teen around him.

After getting their coffees and returning to their usual table – or at least what she referred to as _their_ table – her phone rang.

Holdo was desperately trying to get a hold of her as the photographer for Raddus bailed, yet again.

“Listen Amylin, I will make some calls and find another one, ok? Please don’t panic!” she assured her colleague with a soft voice then began scrolling through the contacts in her phone.

“What was that?”

“The photographer for Raddus bailed, I just need maybe 30 minutes to call around.”

Ben frowned and chewed the inside of his cheek as he tended to when he was about to be an ass. “Isn’t that Holdo’s account?”

“Well yes. But she needs some help and I promised. Chill out it’ll only take me half an hour or so.” She replied curtly, but in no small part because she knew what he was about to say and she was in no mood to hear it.

“You are too nice.”

Rey couldn’t stop her eye roll. She was growing tired of everyone she knew chastising her for being kind. On the same token, she was tired of being taken advantage of because of her unchecked desire to please.

“I’m serious, Rey. Sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself and put your own needs ahead of others. Watching out for yourself doesn’t make you a bad person.”

“Well, isn’t that rich coming from you Ebenezer!” She snarked while he placed the file he was holding on the table and regarded her thoughtfully.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re not exactly mister sociable around the office, you know?“

“I’m always cordial and polite. I’m even participating in the stupid secret Santa nonsense.” His frown was decidedly...frownier.

“Ok. Seriously though! You’ve been here for almost a year? And you’ve never joined us for happy hour.”

“Rey, I’m here to do a job, not make friends.”

“Those are not mutually exclusive, Solo! Give it a try, get to know us! I promise we don’t bite.”

“We’ll see.” he replied quietly and returned to his laptop screen, shutting down any further conversation.

After a few quiet moments, her email pinged to her absolute dismay.

 _From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_“Do you think I’m unapproachable?”_

She peered across the table; his creased brow and sullen expression indicated he was focusing on his work. But he was massaging her.

_What!_

She excused herself from the table so she could reply to him without being noticed.

 _From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_“I think you can be, yah.”_

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_“I don’t mean to be. I just find it hard to open up to people.”_

_From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_“You seem to be doing ok opening up to me.”_

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

“ _You’re different though_ ” she held her breath as she read his reply but before she could type an answer, another message came through.  

_“You’re in front of a screen.”_

_From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_“Just try it. Being nice is so much easier than actively keeping everyone at bay.”_

Rey returned to the table just in time to see him smile at his computer screen. What she felt could only be described as confusing, but that was not articulate enough. She was experiencing an overwhelming bout of irrational jealousy.

Why did Ben care what Secret Santa thought when she was here? Why didn’t he talk to her that way? Why was she this insane?

Maybe tricking him into thinking she was not the one communicating with him was not the best way to earn the trust of a person who clearly has trust issues.

_I have to fix this. Finn will know what to do! Right after he chews me out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's POV will clarify some things next chapter, which I hope to have up within a few days.  
> Just to clarify though - he absolutely is a dumb-ass but it's not entirely his fault. Stay tuned ;)  
> I guarantee a HEA!


	6. Blue Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben continues to act like a dumbass but learns a few lessons.  
> *some clarification to the last chapter*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year Reylos!  
> Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and enjoy the last day of 2018!  
> 2019 is going to be big for us! 
> 
> I didn't sent this to Beta because I've been lazy with my writing and I wanted to get one chapter out today so I can get the next one by the weekend!  
> Please don't forget to wish our beautiful new year's baby and Smut General extraordinaire @newerconstellations a very happy birthday today!

 

Ben’s finger hovered over the green dial button of his cellphone, while he was admiring the gift he’d received from BeBe earlier and internally agonized over his decision to call the number he’d found in his contacts and unblocked.

Being around Rey and her efervescent family all night has made him happy and that feeling brought to the forefront the longing he’d successfully ignored for so long. When he made it home after dropping her off, and not before he’d thoroughly chastised himself for being a  moron and not walking her to her door, he dialed it.

After a few rings, the outgoing message was queued. He listened for it to end, holding his breath as he heard the raspy voice that had once been the entire soundtrack of his childhood, and left a message.

“Hi mom. I know it’s been a while since we chatted. I was wondering if you would have time to meet me for a coffee sometime in the next few weeks? No pressure, I know this is your time to catch up on work since you’re not big on holidays.”

He paused for a moment to catch his breath, hoping that his silence would replace all the words remaining unspoken between them, then ended his message “Umm...it’s Ben. Talk soon”

He hung up, finally releasing the stress he’d been holding in his tensed shoulders and knotted diaphragm, feeling a tinge of regret that he’d made himself so vulnerable and the pangs of rejection from that call going straight to voicemail.

He needed a distraction and he knew just the thing.

As he relaxed with each message from his secret Santa message - the whisky was also helping - another message thread came to his inbox, startling him.

_From:_ [ _Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com)

_“Dear Ben,_

_Hopefully you’re asleep and reading this in the morning; as you are aware, I have been planning my retirement for some time now. I am hoping to fill the position of Director with an internal candidate. You have been an invaluable asset to this company since you came on board and I am so pleased to tell you that you are in the running for this role._

_I will make my final decision announcement at the Christmas party._

_See you around kid!”_

So much for his mood improvement.

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_Luke,_

_I was under the impression that my transition to the role of Marketing Director was a done deal. I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into this job, getting new clients and retaining our current ones. I thought I had proven myself._

_I have to say, I am disappointed to see that yet again, my efforts amount to just not good enough._

It briefly occurred to him that his reaction may have been about more than just the email in front of him.

The response came quickly, to his chagrin.

_From:_ [ _Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com)

_Ben, I always make sure to compliment you on every aspect of your performance but there is always some room for improvement. Your teamwork skills, or lack thereof, are something you need to work on._

_That’s part of the reason I wanted you to work with Rey. While you are senior in terms of experience, she has such a warm and kind approach to dealing with people and it comes through in her work. You could learn a thing or two from her in that respect._

Ben could feel it, the tempest of his fury. _He wouldn’t dare, would he?_

He practically smashed his keyboard with his reply, baring his teeth at the screen.

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_Is Rey one of the candidates?_

_From:_ [ _Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com)

_She is. A worthy adversary, if I do say so myself. Good night Ben._

_God damn it!_

He was never one to shy away from competition, but he didn’t want to compete with her. She was sweet and the only person - aside from secret santa- whom had showed any kindness and softness towards him. There had to be a way to get the promotion and keep her in his corner.

He knew what he had to do.

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@rebel.com)

_We have our pitch revised. Can we meet first thing tomorrow morning to go over it?_

_From:_ [ _Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com_ ](mailto:Luke.Skywalker@rebel.com)

_You got it! Now get some rest._

Getting the rest he craved was now decidedly out the window, as he wondered exactly what the hell his uncle had been thinking partnering them and then pinning them against each other.

He had to do something though, and as much as he was starting to like Rey, he could not fathom to be second place.

He felt a little bit guilty for not replying to the last email from his secret Santa, but he was in no mood to continue the conversation about snow globes and warm feelings.

There was work to be done.

***

He felt ready as he stepped through Rebel’s office doors. Rey seemed to be less enthused about having to present first thing but he needed to prove to Luke that he was a team player. And what could highlight him as a “go team” guy than taking on the responsibility for the entire project off his teammate’s back?

His caffeine fuelled confidence quickly dwindled as he watched Luke’s expression transition from eager and curious to politely dismissive while he listened to his pitch.

Ben had felt inspired by Rey’s family and he proposed the campaign for Empire to highlight the technology upgrades of the new phone. He designed the commercial to involve a couple very similar to Finn and Poe but in an urban modern apartment setting.

T _hey would be dressed in sharp suits, enjoying some well earned after work libations; they would be holiday shopping using the enhanced search abilities of the new phone, raving about the amount of time and hassle the phoned saved them. At the end, they would be overjoyed that the Empire phone has saved them from the overcrowded spaces and other inconveniences of the holiday season._

He was certain this would be a slam-dunk.

It was not.

_More heart? What does that even mean?_

He was irritated, frustrated and beyond tired.

He left Luke’s office as soon as it was humanly possible but he could also feel Rey burning a sizeable hole in the back of his head with her eyes.

Totally understandable. He needed to do something exceptionally nice to get back in her good books before he stonewalled him again.

This incessant need to please her was tremendously irritating. He’d spent a solid hour after their meeting in a conference room, searching online until he finally tracked down the owner of the antique jewelry shop at the market he and Rey had visited together. Normally, going there on a weeked a few weeks before Christmas sounded like his own personal hell, but she was worth the effort, and he would gladly sacrifice his Saturday morning to get that sparkling smile back on her face.

Kaydel Connix was at Rey’s workstation when he returned from his extensive break. He’d just caught the end of their conversation where Rey was mentioning someone being addicted to the coffee at Takodana. The blonde left as soon as he got there, but not before she greeted him with a warm smile.

_Well this is new._

And then a thought crossed his mind; had he been too preoccupied obsessing over the idea that Rey Ford was his Secret Santa and online confidante that he’d missed out on clues of whom the real person could be?

Kaydel Connix fit the profile. She was certainly a Christmas pedler, much like Rey. She had ample opportunity to do the job while he and - _oh! Of course! Rey is helping her!_

It all added up.

Satisfied with his detective work and feeling accomplished after finding the perfect gift for Rey, he felt entirely less deflated with Luke’s reaction to his pitch.

***

Ben was really starting to enjoy the cafe atmosphere for their collaborative efforts; the dim lights, the fire and the coffee, of course, made for an ideal environment to get creative.

Sure, he was completely and utterly distracted by how gorgeous Rey looked sitting across from him in her pretty pink sweater and a cascade of chestnut waves flowing to her shoulders but that would no longer get in his way to achieving his goal.

It annoyed him to see Rey’s niceness being taken advantage of. It infuriated him to think he’d done the exact thing Amylin was doing and he felt like an asshole when she’d casually mentioned his lack of social involvement with their coworkers.

He wanted a second opinion and he emailed his Secret Santa. Although not as blunt as Rey, she seemed to be on the same page as her. This is what Luke had always droned on about and he was starting to see the logic in it; being a team player didn’t come naturally to him but he would try.

“So I thought about what you said and I think you’re right.” He’d said as she returned to her seat across from him, regarding him curiously. “I’m going to join you guys for happy hour this Friday.”

“Oh!” She squeaked with excitement. “That’s wonderful! Kaydel will be so happy.”

“Why do you say that?” _So it’s confirmed!_

She stuttered her response for just a moment, her cheeks reddening with a pretty blush Ben’s noticed before when she’d been flustered “Oh Keydel organized this outifing. We’re going skating at Alderaan park.”

_God damn it! Fucking skating for happy hour? How the hell did that even happen? I’m surrounded by fucking elves ._

***

Friday came slowly; usually when he put in a 60 hour work week it all went by in a flash but for some reason, this week had dragged.

Rey seemed to be a bit distant, almost back to the way they’d been before the project and it bothered him to no end.

Actually, if he was being entirely honest, the shift hurt him. He’d begun to look forward to coming into work and spending hours laboring alongside of her, watching her concentrate on her work, chewing on her pen and giggle right before she came up with a brilliant idea.

This past couple of  days however, she’d been rather aloof and withdrawn. He wanted to know why, he wanted to ask her but he didn’t feel like that was his place. He had no standing with her as far as he could see.

The bellowing sounds of Mariah Carey’s _All I Want For Christmas_ as he approached the skating rink drew him out of his lingering thoughts. There would be plenty of time for introspection and crippling self-hatred later, when he was alone.

_Always alone._

He took in the site of their event; what normally served as a wading pool for screaming hyper children in the summer was now frozen, serving as a skating rink for those same hyper screaming kids.

_This is a huge mistake._

He huffed a loud sigh through his nose as  he sat down on a bench, readying his skates for their big debut.

“Well, well! If it isn’t Mr. Surly himself!” Luke’s voice carried as he chuckled and approached him, attracting the attention of a group of his colleagues, who seemed just as surprised to see him as he was to be there.

“Uh, hey. Yah a friend from the office told me to try and be more sociable and I figured this was as good a place to start as any.”

Luke arched one of his eyebrows inquisitively “A fiend huh? Well that’s good advice. Nobody wants to work for an unapproachable, snobby boss-man who looks down on them.”

Ben was already on edge having stepped out of his comfort zone and coming here; Luke speaking to him as if  he was a petulant child was not helping his mood. His uncle had a gift of getting right under his skin and making him feel inadequate with just a few choice words.

A gift that was clearly genetically passed on.

Ben’s felt himself becoming even more sour as he remembered that voicemail he’d left days ago had never been returned.

“Look Ben” the older man continued “ I know you’re upset with me that I didn’t simply hand you the company. But I want to make sure whoever takes my place is going to take care of it. And the _it_ I’m referring to the business AND the people who work here. Part of being a good boss is getting to know them, being part of the group not just their leader. If you show kindness and genuine affection to your staff, they will literally follow you into battle. But if you treat them like faceless underlings, all you’ll get is medium effort at best. Trust me, these afterhours traditions are as much business strategy as they are personally rewarding.”

His uncle was making sense, but Ben still hated that he’d felt the need to come and lecture him.

“Ah! I believe your …. _friend_ has found you!” Luke exclaimed before he could say a word in reply and his eyes flew towards the direction where his uncle was looking.

Rey looked positively ethereal; her luscious hair flowed around her shoulders as she flitted about the skating rink, wearing the most ridiculous pair of oversized earmuffs he’s ever seen on an adult.

She looked so happy to see him, her bright smile becoming brighter as she approached him, he felt his heart actually skip a beat.

“Ben! You made it!”

“I did.” He stood as he finished tying his skates, completely forgetting his uncle’s presence.

He felt like a baby fawn learning how to walk as he stepped on the ice and felt all control over his own limbs disappear.

“Been a while since you’ve done this has it?” She chuckled as she took in his distress.

“Yah. As in never.”

“How is that even possible? It’s winter here every six months or so!”

“Somebody would’ve had to teach me at some point.” He said as his mind reeled thinking on his lonely winter childhood nights spent looking out through his window, watching other kids walk by with their parents and skates, wishing… _enough Solo. That’s enough._

_“_ So you need a teacher huh? I can help you out but it’ll cost you!” She winked as she took both his hands in hers and began skating backwards with impossible ease, never breaking eye contact.

He forgot all about his unease and embarrassment after mere moments of holding her hands, enjoying every moment of the skin to skin contact, drowning in the deep waters of her gorgeous eyes. He understood, finally, why people enjoyed this so much.

He forgot that he was out with work people on a Friday night. He forgot about the conversation with his uncle or the overall disaster this entire week had been.

It was her. She attracted him into her orbit and he was helpless trying to resist her pull. She’d never let go of his hands.

He didn’t hate it.

After a few laps around the frozen pool together, after she’d helped him up yet again from his umpteenth fall on his ass, she said between giggles _“_ It’s ok if you’re having fun Solo, I won’t tell anyone!”

“If I tell you that you’re right, will you take us off this frozen hell merry-go-round?”

She chortled but agreed with a tiny head nod, turning around and placing his hands on her slender waist so she could tow him off to the side.

He felt a surge of electricity as she pulled him close to her, a speck of dust separating his hips from her ample bottom.

He’s never seen her in jeans before and damn if the way that denim fit her wasn’t downright criminal.

Ben felt a significant amount of his blood rush down and pool around his lower body, where his cock hardened gradually with every single accidental bump of her perfect bottom.

Mercifully, they made it back to the bench where he promptly took a seat to catch his breath.

“That wasn’t so bad was it?”

_God that smile is what must’ve melted the polar ice cap._

“Better than sitting around the house I guess. Not loving everyone from the office seeing my best impression of Bambi learning how to walk, but it’s all good.”

She crouched in front of him, throwing her head back in a fit of laughter and unlacing his skates.

Seeing her kneeling between his knees like that did zero to help the situation brewing in his nether region.

He cleared his throat calling her attention. “You mentioned something about a price for your instruction?”

She looked up at him, her beaming smile reaching her eyes and making them sparkle. “Dinner?”

_And desert? Abso-fucking-lutely._

_“_ Sure, yah.” He replied in the most even voice he could muster, not wanting to give away how thrilled he was at the prospect of spending an evening alone with her, not working.”How about tomorrow?”

“I can’t tomorrow, me and Finn have our cookie.” Disappointment was slowly infiltrating his heart, but he tried to not appear entirely deflated.

_Shit._

“How about next saturday?”

“It’s a date.” He responded and instantly felt nervous.

_A date. With Rey._

It never occurred to him to ask her if she meant as friends though, resulting in him spending the entirety of what remained of his Friday fretting over the meaning of her words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much love for each and everyone of you guys! you've been so supportive and so patient and I promise everything will unfold nicely by the end and we will get a pay off :)


	7. You're a mean one, Mister Grinch!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey learns more about Ben and gets a surprise at the Christmas market!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeeeek I know! more Christmas! I just have to finish this, I promise I won't drag it out, but we're just getting to the good stuff!  
> I didn't sent this one to be beta'd either, please excuse my messy writing!

She’d floated home on a white fluffy cloud; that was the only way Rey could explain her exhilaration. She never expected him to actually show up for after office hours ice skating, but seeing him there, clad in dark denim and a plaid shirt under his designer coat, smiling casually and having effortless fun, gave her a brand new perspective of him.

 

And!

 

There was a little matter of their plans for _a date_ the following weekend after spending, just north of  socially acceptable amount of time for friends holding hands while ice skating.

 

She would be beyond ecstatic for all those reasons, if she hadn’t come home to an email from him. Addressed to secret _fucking_ santa.

 

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@Rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@Rebel.com)

_Thanks for bullying me into going tonight. Aside from embarrassing myself with my lack of skating abilities, I actually managed to have a decent time._

 

_From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_That’s good to know. It doesn’t hurt to show a little kindness to mankind once in a while does it?_

 

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@Rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@Rebel.com)

_Ha. Ha. Seriously. Thanks. This is not my favorite time of the year but having you as a friend makes it bearable._

 

_What the Dickens! So he asks me for a date but then wants Santa as a best friend? God damn._

 

She was mystified and overwhelmed by the complex and ridiculous range of sentiments she was feeling.

She should just confess and apologise, grovel and hope that he would still speak to her after her innocent plan to divert his attention ended up breaking several ethics rules.

 

That was the smart thing to do. That’s what a reasonable, decent person should have done. But Rey went a different route.

 

_From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_I’m glad you feel that way. It’s entirely mutual, by the way. Can I ask you a serious question though?_

 

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@Rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@Rebel.com)

_Shoot._

 

_From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_You seemed to have a genuine fun time today so why do you hate Christmas so much? Just asking, for a friend._

 

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@Rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@Rebel.com)

_My dad died at Christmas. My mom was never much for the holidays but after he passed, she always buried herself in work during the holidays. I was left to my own devises. So it’s not that I hate Christmas. It just has very little meaning to me._

 

_From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_I’m sorry Ben.That’s so awful! Thank you for sharing that with me._

She felt her heart stop and shrivel to the size of a wall-nut. She’d completely misunderstood his motivations - he wasn’t a jerk because he held himself out to be better than everyone and their small holiday traditions. He was lonely and sad, just like the Grinch,  and she had to stop herself from running to his house and trapping him in an endless bear-hug.

 

_From:_ [ _Ben.Solo@Rebel.com_ ](mailto:Ben.Solo@Rebel.com)

_I’ve never shared that with anyone else. Feels good to have someone to talk to. Santa, I want to meet in person. I mean, we already know each other obviously, but let’s actually plan on meeting._

 

Her wobbly house of cards on which she’d built their relationship was about to come tumbling down and she would lose him before she’d even truly had him.

 

“Bloody hell!” she exclaimed loudly to the chagrin of her lazy feline companion, who’d woken up from a long winter’s nap and somehow still had the nerve to yawn widely.  

 

_From:_ [ _Secret.Santa@hotmail.com_ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@hotmail.com)

_That’s a great idea! Let’s meet up for a drink after the gift exchange._

 

She didn’t wait for him to reply. No good could come from extending the conversation as she felt more and more like a deceiver and a liar with every new layer of emotional armour he peeled off.

 

Rey tried to sleep. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw those brown eyes fixate on her filled with disappointment. She desperately needed to fix this in such a way that she would end up keeping him, somehow. If there was an age restriction on making Christmas wishes, Rey hoped she was still under the threshold because this was hers.

 

***

 

“Auntie Rey! Can we go see the reindeer?”

 

Even though she was exhausted from her night of restless sleep, she gave Bebe all the attention he wanted. He was growing like a weed and as much as she hoped this wouldn’t happen, there would come a time when he won’t want to spend any of his days with her. Besides, the way he regarded her with his big hopeful gaze made it impossible to deny him anything.

 

She held his precious mitted hand in hers and ran alongside of him as he eagerly approached his target.

 

“Rey?”

 

She froze, recognizing his thunderous timbre before seeing his face.

 

“Hi”

 

“Hi Mr. Solo!” Bebe bounced excitedly as Ben crouched so their eyes were on the same level.

 

“I told you buddy, you can call me Ben.”

 

“Ben! Do you want to come see the reindeer with us? Please?” he grabbed Ben’s hand with his eager little paw, leaving him no room to argue.

 

After he’d spotted the furry beasts in their pen, Bebe had essentially forgotten about the adults’ existence, joining the rest of the children as they fawned over Santa’s little helpers.

 

She smiled widely watching her little nephew feed a carrot to one of the reindeer and squeak with the pure excitement only children were capable of showing, without a sense of inhibition.

 

“I have to say” she chuckled, watching Ben’s soft expression from the periphery of her vision ”this is the second last place I expected to run into you on a Saturday morning.”

 

“The first being…”

 

“The skating rink in Alderaan Park!” she laughed as she finished his sentence, leaning into him gently, just enough to brush his arm with her shoulder. There was no chance she could be around him without touching him somehow.

 

He chuckled as he gently raked his leather gloved fingers through his curls, his smile causing his cheeks to dimple in a particularly knee-buckling way.

 

“Fair enough. Fair enough. I would ask you the same question but I have a good idea what dragged you out of bed at this unholy hour on the weekend.”

 

“It’s ten am Ben.” he shrugged nonchalantly, still keeping his eye on Bebe who seemed to have made it his mission this morning to fatten up the little deer, continuing to feed them out of his bucket and making friends while doing so.

 

“What I wouldn’t give to have that kind of energy.” She whispered in her plastic coffee cup while mentally thanking it for being her most trusted source of fuel today. And every other day at that.

 

Ben nodded absently, continuing to watch Bebe with that smile plastered on his face. She’d never been more desperate to find out what he was thinking, but she didn’t want to ask and somehow break whatever magic had him in this trance.

 

Finally, as if he heard her many questions, he broke the silence, turning to face her.

 

_So close!_

 

He smelled amazing, as he always did - coffee, peppermint and teakwood.

 

_Man. Delicious, delicious man._

 

“I think I finally understand what you’ve been talking about all this time Rey. I see it in him. _This”_ he gestured towards where Bebe was standing “the spirit of Christmas. Or whatever version of that is acceptable for an adult man to remark.” He chuckled again in an attempt to be dismissive.

 

This was a huge breakthrough. It was her turn to be decent.

 

“Ben, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. I umm…”

 

“Auntie! Ben!” the child shrieked with excitement. “SANTA is here!”

 

_Right._

 

“Can we please go see him! Puuuuuuhllllllleeeeaze!”

 

As if there was any chance she could say no to that.

 

“Auntie! Let’s take a picture with him. Ben, you come too!”

 

Her hands were instantly clammy as she tried to come up with anything to convince her spirited nephew why this was not a great idea. “You coming?” Ben smiled at her over his shoulder as he held Bebe’s hand and made his way to Santa.

 

Bebe took his seat on Santa’s lap while Ben stood behind the bearded man.

 

“Mom, you come and stand in front of dad ok?” the petite brunette photographer whose elf name tag said _Sage_ gestured to them.

 

“Oh we’re not -”

 

“Actually he’s my - “

 

Both blurted simultaneously and Rey felt flushed all over as the beautiful photographer corralled her towards Santa.

 

She stood in front of Ben, relishing in the cozyness of this moment and basking in the heat radiating off his hulking form.

 

“Thanks for being a good sport Ben!” she said sheepishly as they made their way to the parking lot.

 

“Honestly, it was my pleasure. And if it’s not too much trouble, I would love a copy of those photos when you get them.”

 

“Of course” Rey squeaked as he stepped in and embraced her in a hug that lingered for just one delicious moment. “I’ll see you Monday then?”

 

“Have a good weekend Rey. Bye buddy!” he waved to Bebe who was seated comfortably in his car seat, waiting for her.

 

She sat in the car and watched him drive away, waiting for her heartbeat  to return to a normal cadence before placing her key in the ignition. She was in so much trouble. And a bit of a coward.

 

***

 

“So are we going to talk about why you brought the man who hates Christmas to our tree decorating dinner?” Finn questioned as he sheepishly smirked while topping off their Chardonnays.

 

“I thought it would be a good way to open him up a little. And it was!” his face lighting up as he watched Bebe came to the forefront of her mind, making her smirk.

 

“Hardly.” Finn snarked. “It didn’t seem to stop him from railroading you into giving up another project in his favor.”

 

“Finn, that’s awful! He wouldn’t!”

 

“Wouldn’t he?”

 

“No. Trust me, he’s not an asshole. At least not on purpose. And stop side eyeing me like that!”

 

“Rey, he’s hot for sure. But from everything you’ve told me, he’s kind of a douche. And now that you’re competing with him for this promotion, I’m even more convinced he’s just trying to work you. You’re too nice for your own good and you’re falling for it.”

 

There it was again. _Too Nice._

 

It could’ve been her brother’s words or the wine she’d gulped down while they were decorating their Christmas baking; whatever it was, she felt brave.

 

“Finn, I know him. We’ve been chatting through email  for the past couple of weeks and I got to know him. He’s just misunderstood.”

 

Finn squinted his eyes with suspicion and Rey realized she’d let it slip.

 

“What do you mean you’ve been chatting through _email?_ You spend upwards of ten hours with him on a daily basis.”

 

“Oh. That. Is something I’ve been meaning to speak to you about. I created a fake email account where I’ve been emailing him as Secret Santa and at first it was just for that. But now he’s opening up and sharing really personal information and he asked me out on a date. But he still talks to Secret Santa as if he likes her and I made sure that he knew for sure it wasn’t me and now I don’t know how to unwind this mess.”

 

She took a breath after she’d laid out all her sins in front of her brother, steadying herself as she waited for judgment.

 

“What?” Finn looked genuinely confused and a little worried.

 

“It’s what you told me to do!”

 

“It most certainly is not.” he sipped his wine and topped it off again.

 

“Ok maybe not in those words but it was the gist of our conversation.” she could practically hear him rolling his eyes at her as she drowned her sorrows in wine and raw cookie dough. “It’s complicated. In real life we disagree on everything, he’s my competition and he’s such an ass most of the time. But when he writes to me he’s so wonderful. Sincere and vulnerable. I’m afraid that once he finds out it was me all along, I’ll lose his trust for good.”

 

“This is quite a pickle you’ve gotten yourself into. Why did you even bother with the whole email bit, I mean...you could just buy him a tie or something.”

 

“Secret Santa is important. I needed to get him the perfect gift. Especially now that I know about his crappy Christmases.”

 

“Ok. Peanut? You know you don’t have to fix him. You just have to get him a gift under $50. Unless…”

 

“Unless what?”

 

“You like him!”

 

“Of course, he’s a nice guy.” _And he’s not bad to look at, and smells like heaven. What’s not to like._

 

“You’re falling for him! Listen, you have to come clean with him. The longer you wait, the worst it’s going to be when it all unravels. No more secret emails, no more teenage girl bullshit. Just man up!”

 

Finn was right. This was exactly what she needed, a bit of brotherly tough love.

 

“So” he changed the subject as he pulled a tray of haystacks from the oven “who’s your Secret Santa?”

 

“I have no idea. I actually haven’t even thought about it.”

 

“Don’t tell me you’re not dying to know who it is!”  he grinned and scooped up two of her favourite treats on a plate to cool, setting it aside for her.

 

“No I’m not. I’ve had horrible luck with secret santas. Last year I got Snap Wexley and he got me a men’s extra large UFC t-shirt and a meat thermometer. The year before Holdo made me a pot of Jambalaya.”

 

“She obviously didn’t know of your allergy then? Also, what an odd thing to bring to a gift exchange. I can see why you have low expectations.” he laughed a full, half tipsy belly laugh and Rey joined in.

 

“I’m serious! The art of giving a fuck is just lost on some people.”

 

She ended up sleeping over in her brother’s guest room after eating four heystaks and drinking two more wine glasses.

 

She had a clear head and knew exactly what she had to do. No more emails. No more bullshit. She liked Ben Solo and she would stop being such a damn coward and let him know the second she had the chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week was Russian Orthodox Christmas, so if you celebrate it, Merry Christmas! I grew up in a family that celebrated both the "old calendar" and the "new" Christmas as well as Hanukah. Essentially, a month long celebration :) 
> 
> I hope you all had a great break and if you're still reading this, thank you with all my heart! xo


	8. Little Drummer Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben continues with one step forward two steps back, making a mess of everything.  
> A little pre-Christmas angst ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @newerconstellations for your insanely patient beta :) without you, this would make little to no sense!

 

Canto Bite was the epitome of snobby five-star dining.  It made sense entirely that _she_ would be dining here on a Saturday night.

 

Ben huffed a frozen breath while he incessantly paced outside the upscale locale. He second-guessed his decision coming here, convincing himself he should just get back in his car and go home.

 

This was a mistake.

 

His mind drifted to his run-in with Rey at the market and how nerve-wracking it had been. Not because he wasn’t thrilled to see her - that surprise changed the entire mood of his weekend and got him to smile thinking about her for hours after they parted.

 

No, that wasn’t the cause of his stress - she almost saw that he had picked out her secret Santa present that morning. The impromptu family portrait with Santa though, that had given him a lot of food for thought.

 

He’d never experienced that kind of excitement when he was a child; Bebe was the embodiment of happiness and wonder and he envied him at that moment.

 

Having Rey stand so close to him that he could smell the heady mix if citrus, vanilla and a hint of coffee was the best part of his day. The best part of every day.

 

He decided then and there that he would meet with his Secret Santa and ensure they were both on the same page as far as their intentions went; he didn’t want to inadvertently lead this girl on. He enjoyed talking with her and having a friend, but Rey was something else entirely.

 

Once he’d realized what he needed to do, it emboldened him to attend to the other matter he'd successfully avoided dealing with for years. He made another phone call to his mother’s office and her assistant informed him where she was having dinner with a client.

 

And that’s why, on a snowy Saturday night, he was lurking outside the Canto Bite restaurant, waiting for his mother that he hasn’t seen in years, who could not be bothered to answer his calls. He had no plan. Was he going to confront her? Maybe apologize for his absence in her life if she cared enough to notice?

 

_Fuck it._

 

“Ben?”

 

He heard the all-too-familiar voice, a bit gruffer with age and a result of smoking too many cigarettes, as he’d just taken his first step towards returning to his car and abandoning his ill-planned mission for the night all together.

 

“Mother.”

 

“Well look at you, handsome as ever!” she approached him with arms wide open, ready to embrace him. He wanted to fight it, to offer his hand to her in a stark greeting, but it all felt so natural, so inviting, that he bent at the waist and closed his eyes as he hugged this tiny mother for the first time in years.

 

“Robyn told me you’d be here and I was in the area so I thought I would come see you, rather than call again.”

 

“Oh good. Listen, I meant to return your call Ben, I’ve just been so…”

 

“Busy. Yes.” The warmth that had spread through his chest for just a brief moment quickly changed to the familiar sharp bitterness that always shadowed Leia Organa’s presence in his life.

 

She pushed her glasses up her small face, showcasing the crows’ feet that had deepened since the last time he’d seen her. “Since you’re here, what is it that you wanted to talk about? I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you considering how our last conversation ended.”

 

“I believe you gave me an ultimatum and I took it.” _You probably didn’t expect that I would choose me over your vision and ambitions. You never chose me._

 

“You have to believe me son, I always had your best interest in mind. All I wanted was to guide you and motivate you into being your best self. You had so much potential I just didn’t want to see it wasted. You would’ve made a fabulous lawyer.”

 

The anger was bubbling, threatening to once again overflow and drown him. “Why have you never accepted my choices? It’s not like I ended up a derelict you know? I’m a respected professional in my industry. There _are_ other careers than being a prosecutor!”

 

He was shouting. His teeth were bared and he was throwing a full-blown hissy fit in front of Canto Bite.

 

_Get your shit together Solo!_

 

“This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here. I guess some things don’t change. Merry fucking Christmas Leia.”

 

He turned on his foot without looking at her again, tasting the vitriol from his hateful words on his lips, taking away her ability to make him humiliate himself any further.

 

He practically ran to his car, not paying any mind to the stream of tears steadily flowing down his face, listening to that voice that always made itself known when he was doubting himself.

 

_You’re not good enough for them, young Solo, and you never will be._

 

The voice that had encouraged him to leave his position before completing his training as a lawyer to pursue a career in advertising. The same voice that constantly tore him down with every opportunity until he was able to leave the First Order for good.

 

Snoke.

 

He was as bad as Leia. They just wanted to mold him and transform him in someone they needed, something he was never able to live up to.

 

***

 

Ben spent the remainder of the weekend in his apartment, watching mindless reruns of early 2000’s shows and trying to push all the emotions that had surfaced, back to the pit of his stomach were they dwelled.

 

At least when he was in the office, he could focus on work.

 

And Rey.

 

Rey, who was so sweet and caring and always open. Who, in all honesty, deserved this promotion more than him.  She deserved more than him, _period._

 

“Good morning, Ben! Here is your coffee.” She smiled at him and handed over a festive looking paper cup.  “Now, before you get into a snit, I know you’re a black coffee guy.  But since it’s only a couple of weeks until Christmas and you seem to be less averse to the holiday spirit, I got you something a little bit different.”

 

He took the paper cup out of her hand and sipped skeptically.  “Oh god” he winced, maybe more dramatic than necessary “is all the sugar in Denver inside this drink?”

 

She just giggled as she sipped hers from the unlidded cup, inadvertently adorning her face with a whipped cream mustache.

 

_Fucking adorable._

 

“Fine. It’s not horrible. Now can we please get some work done so we have something to show Ackbar?”

 

“Good idea! First though, as you requested.”  He looked down at her outstretched hand, where he could see the Santa photo taken on Saturday.  At the time, he was so taken with the sweet domesticity of the whole experience, he never noticed how they were posing.

 

Bebe glowing with pure happiness sitting on the jolly man’s lap, while Rey had her head tipped up towards him, beaming with a smile from ear to ear.  He seemed to only have eyes for her and a goofy smile that showed exactly what he was feeling that moment.

 

Happy.

 

A rare moment in time, captured perfectly.

 

He cleared his throat having just realized he’d been staring at this photo forever without saying a word. “Thanks. This is really something.”

 

“You bet!” She winked at him as she removed her coat and sat at her desk, seemingly ready to get the day started, when something in her bag caught his eye.

 

“What is that?”

 

“Oh! This is Bebe’s Christmas list. He wrote in in crayon and Finn and I have been having a hell of a time trying to decipher it.”

 

“Rey!” he exclaimed as the idea came to him. “That’s it! I know what we should do for the pitch!”

 

Unlike the last time, he shared her ideas with her and they worked together all day and late in the night. As much as he hated to credit him, Luke was right. The two of them made an excellent team.

 

***

 

“You kids have hit this out of the park!” Luke exclaimed as soon as they were done their presentation.  Ben finally allowed himself to feel the exhaustion from not sleeping for most of the night.

 

Their efforts had paid off as Luke was the happiest Ben had ever seen. “This is _exactly_ what Ackbar wants. Well done, you two!  I was starting to doubt you, but you really pulled this off.  Send these boards for production and then you two take the rest of the day off on me. Come back tomorrow and be ready to present it to our client.”

 

A sense of pride and achievement filled him to the brim and he let himself enjoy the moment as Rey beamed and high fived them both.

 

“Ben, I know we said Saturday but how about some lunch today?” Rey asked him so sweetly.  As if he could ever resist such a request.

 

“Sure!  Let me grab my coat and I’ll meet you by the reception desk?”

 

She simply nodded her agreement, smiling so bright it almost burned him.

 

As he approached his desk, he noticed Kaydel placing something close to his computer.

 

“Leaving me a present _Santa?”_ He spoke in the most non-threatening voice as the blonde flinched with surprise.

 

“Oh hi! You totally caught me!  I was leaving you a little treat. I got these shortbreads from the market and I wanted to make sure you got one.  Before the horde gets to them, that is.”

 

“Well thanks. That’s very thoughtful.”

 

As the blonde began to walk away, he got an idea and stopped her. “Hey how about a drink later?  There’s something I’d like to talk to you about, but not at the office.”

 

He wanted to tell her about what happened on Saturday night, but that was not something he could go into at the office or without a stiff drink.  And he was not about to miss out on lunch with Rey.

 

“Sure!” Kaydel answered eagerly. “Pick me up around 8?  I’ll text you my addy.”

 

He smiled to himself, content with how his week started and everything was falling into place. Except that Rey had disappeared!  He waited for her for over half an hour and she never showed, didn’t answer any of his calls or text messages.

 

_What the hell?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEEEEEEEEK sorry!!!!!!!!!!!  
> Ok so yes, Rey heard. But don't worry because he will start making it up immediately. This was a hard few days for him but he's finally learning. Just a few more chapters to go! 
> 
> thank you for sticking with this and always reading and leaving me comments, you guys are the best!!!


	9. All I Want for Christmas Is You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The troops rally around Rey for moral support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @SageMcMae for the beta :) 
> 
> And thank you guys for all your comments and support for this little story! I said I would update more often and not be writing Christmas fluff in February but alas! here we are! 2 more chapters to go!

 

 

**Ben Solo cell**

_Rey? What’s wrong, you just disappeared out of the office, are you ok?_

 

**Ben Solo cell**

_Since you’re not answering your phone, I assume it’s me. I’m sorry, whatever I did to upset you, I’m so sorry! Please, I need to come see you and talk this out in person._

 

He was the last person she wanted to see.

 

Rose walked home with her from the office, literally and figuratively keeping her from falling apart. Once they made it to her apartment, Rose dialed Finn and had him join in the emergency support meeting.

 

“How could Solo do that? I swear, when I get back to the office I’m going to climb him like a tree and when I get to the top, I’m going to slap some goddamn sense into that pretty head.” Rose paced, as Rey and her brother sipped their tea.

 

With the tears she’d shed over Ben still damp on her face, Rey mulled over the ridiculous turn her life had taken in the span of a single morning.

 

The worst part was knowing it was all her fault.

 

“No sweetie don’t say that.”  It wasn’t until Rose, her ride-or-die work-wife, protested that Rey realized she’d spoken those exact words aloud.

 

“It is,” she insisted. “I did such a good job convincing him I was not his secret Santa, that he believed it. And instead of Santa, I became Cupid. Ugh!” She lowered her chin to sit atop her knees where she was clutching them into her chest.

 

“Is he still texting you?” Finn asked, while one of his hands caressed gentle circles on her bowed back.

 

Rey sighed and nodded her head in response, finding she had no energy left for speaking.

 

She’d overheard Ben making a date with Kaydel. Clear as day. Maybe they’d had others and she just didn’t know about it. Ben deserved to be happy though, she couldn’t begrudge him that. She only wished she would’ve protected her own heart more carefully instead of allowing herself to fall head over heels for him .

 

“I’ve had so many chances to tell him the truth and I didn’t. I don’t know why I dedicated so much energy to this secret Santa thing. I should’ve paid more attention to him and to the way I felt about him. Maybe nipped it the bud while I still had a chance.”

 

“Felt?” Her brother ceased his soothing motion to question her. “Peanut, you’re in love with him. I think you should answer one of those texts and hear what he has to say.”

 

She couldn’t deny Finn’s words but she feared there was not enough of her tattered heart leftover to hear Ben out. Besides, he didn’t _actually_ owe her an explanation. This _relationship_ wasn’t real, it was a one sided projection of a silly girl with silly fantasies.

 

“Rey, I love you, but you need to hear this.” He had his big brother face on now. His warm eyes filled with concern as she turned her head to face him. “Are you just going to let that blonde skank have him? If you want him, you need to fight for him. I’ve seen you two together, he has feelings for you. This is not the time to be selfless and _nice.”_

 

That word again. Her brother was probably right, but she didn’t want to hear it. Her to-do list amounted to sitting in a ball of misery, eating her weight in caramel corn and Christmas baking and forget all about this day.

 

***

 

The next time she opened her eyes, the blurry light of winter sunrise shone through her half closed blinds. Before leaving, Finn and Rose had covered her with her favorite fuzzy plaid throw and wedged a pillow under her head.

 

She found her phone tangled up in her blanket. Ignored her missed calls and text messages. They were all from the same sender.

 

No. She was not going to deal with this today. Or ever.

 

She quickly typed up an email to HR and copied Luke Skywalker, explaining her absence with a well crafted excuse. After all, she’d put in more than her fair share of unpaid hours on this project and she was exhausted.

 

Rey tucked herself inside the soft throw and walked slowly to her bedroom where she turned herself into her best impression of a burrito. She needed more sleep. Sleep. The only thing that kept her mind from racing back to the moment when all her hopes were dashed, the disappointment of losing him vibrated through her body and shattered her heart.

 

_Ben._

 

She sighed  while the hot tears returned, staining her cheeks and pooling inside her blanketed nest.

 

Several hours later, she was still reeling from the hurt, self-soothing with red velvet cupcakes and gingersnaps. _Thank you Finn!_

 

The light tapping on her door startled her.

 

She knew he was coming - because he called and told her as much - but his presence at her doorstep was still unexpected.

 

The crawl to the door felt interminable. She unlocked the door after a long cleansing breath and braced herself for the conversation she was about to have.

 

“Luke.”

 

“Hey kid!” The older man greeted her warmly, although his eyes were filled with concern. “Can I come in?”

 

“Oh! Yes, of course, please do.”

 

“Feeling better I see.” He spoke in a chipper tone of voice, entering and shutting the door behind him.

 

She was so taken back by his presence, out of the context of their office, that she forgot about the excuse she’d given him to explain her missing a day of work.

 

“Yes. I had a good bit of rest today. Lots of fluids and some home made sustenance.” She wasn’t technically lying, the red velvets were all home made and she had slept the better part of the day. However, there wasn’t an ounce of truth when it came to feeling better.

 

Luke unbuttoned his knee-length wool coat and stepped over to her sofa, where he sat down and rested his interlaced fingers between his knees.

 

“Look kid, I’m just going to cut to the chase here. Ben made the pitch to Ackbar and he loved it! The account is ours.”

 

Rey’s chest filled with joy, a sense of accomplishment washing over her. “That’s wonderful!” She squeaked, as she took a seat across from the older man.

 

“Yes, it is. Ben did a wonderful job presenting it.” He leaned in closer, carefully scrutinizing her for a reaction.

 

Rey wasn’t surprised Ben performed well. It was one of the reasons he’d made the move from the First Order. He had a reputation as a ruthless closer. A sales Jedi.

 

_Of course he would take all the credit as well._

 

“Since it’s so late into the season, they want to film the commercial immediately. I need my  Marketing Director there to ensure it all goes smoothly.”

 

“Ok?” She was confused. The sentiment clearly reflected on her face because Luke chuckled.

 

“The job is yours, Ms. Ford. Congratulations!”

 

“I don’t understand?” She didn’t. She felt like she was missing a crucial part of the conversation.

 

“Ben told us it was all you. He also pulled himself out of the race for the position.”

 

She should’ve been overjoyed. Instead, she felt enraged. Pure, red hot fury filled the former hollow shell of her heart.

 

“I don’t feel like I deserve this. And I certainly do not want to be promoted by default. I don’t need Ben Solo’s pity prize.”

 

“I can promise you that no one deserves this promotion more than you do. For the first time in his entire life, Ben is not acting entirely out of his own self-interest.”

 

“What do you mean _for the first time in his entire life_? We know virtually nothing about him.”

 

“Ben Solo is my nephew. His mother is my twin sister - Leia Organa.”

 

Rey felt stunned. It was daunting that somehow no one in the office knew this huge secret, but it was equally unnerving to realize that she knew nothing about Ben Solo. She was aware of Leia Organa’s place in the Skywalker family tree of course, but she’d never put the pieces together when it came to Ben. It all made sense. Sort of.

 

“But why would he give up the position then? This is his family’s business, it’s only right that he should be taking it over.”

 

“Yes, he certainly saw it that way as well, in the beginning.” Luke smiled an effortless creased grin before he spoke again. “But merely because this is our family legacy doesn’t automatically qualify him for the role. My mother was a fair person and I’d like to think I am as well. I see so much potential in you! The same strength I see in my nephew. I just needed you to reach down and bring it to the surface where you could see it as well.”

 

Her mind was reeling. This was a lot of information to process in such a short amount of time, especially when her brain had been living on sugar and butter for over 24 hours. Ben was a Skywalker. The heir to Rebel and he had given it all up for her. Was he doing it out of pity or guilt? Was it possible he saw the same talent in her as Luke had? Or did he do it for another reason?

 

_No. That’s not it._

 

“Rey? You still with me?” Luke waved his hand in front of her face, bringing her back from the haze she’d lost herself in.

 

“Sorry. Yes. It’s a lot of stuff and I’m still feeling a little under the weather.”

 

“Of course. I’m going to leave you to it then.” He stood but hadn’t made a move towards the door yet. “One more thing. Ben and I had a long, overdue conversation. He shared with me the growth he’s experienced as a human since he’s gotten to know you better and his feelings that go with it. He and I spent a lot of quality time together after you fled the office yesterday. If I can offer you one piece of advice, Ms. Ford?”

 

Rey nodded, feeling the sting of tears return to her eyes.

 

“Give him a chance to explain himself. Ok?” he squeezed her in a tight embrace and left before she could respond.  

 

She was touched by Luke’s warmth and thoughtfulness. She was entirely moved by Ben’s perceptions of their time together and its effect on him. She was still very much in shock about getting the promotion she’d coveted for so long. Mostly, she had mixed feelings over Ben.

 

Not mixed feelings. Just...more. So. Many. Feelings.

 

She was startled again by a soft knock on the door. Luke must’ve realized he’d forgotten his gloves on her sofa.

 

“Coming!” She picked up the accessories and rushed to the door. “I figured you’d be returning for…” She did not finish her sentence, as the door opened and the gloves dropped to the floor.

 

“Rey.”

 

There were so many thoughts that crossed her mind at the same time: how horrific she must’ve looked, how much she regretted having stuffed a cookie in her mouth only moments ago, how happy she was to see him, how mad she was at him. It all overwhelmed her and she felt her brain short circuit.

 

That’s how she would later justify why she jumped into his arms. Why she wrapped her arms around his neck, as he pulled her close to his chest. Why she kissed him thoroughly while he pushed them into the confines of her apartment and shut the door on the rest of the world.

 

She would make sense of all of it later because the only thing that mattered in this moment were his hands on her and the feel of those plush lips she’d been wanting to taste for so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> squeee! ok they still have a BUNCH of stuff to discuss but the E rating will be coming shortly :)


	10. Let it Snow, Let it Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter should've been named "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" but that's a little on the nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SageMcMae for the beta and your wonderful words of encouragement!!!! 
> 
> Guys! thanks for sticking with this! Questions get answered and then we get into the E rating of this fic and if that's not your jam, just skip to the end :)
> 
> "Suddenly I See" by KT Turnstall is now stuck in my head and it totally applies to this chapter! Thanks once more to Sage <3

Ben had prepared himself for a number of outcomes when he arrived at her door —to be yelled at, maybe a few well-earned choice insults, in all likeliness just silence on the other side of her door. He dared not to dream or hope, on any level, that he would find himself holding Rey in his arms, kissing her the way he’d been dying to since the first day he’d seen her.

 

The day before had been an absolute rollercoaster of emotion, ending in a pit of despair. When Rey walked away from him then refused to return his texts or answer his calls, he racked his brain over the _why?_

 

What possibly could have happened in a matter of minutes to have made her so upset with him? He thought nothing else all afternoon, while he paced the length of his apartment, wearing down the broadlin carpet and chewing his nails down to nubs.

 

The clues were all there, if only he’d been smart enough to look. It had been his dinner with Kaydel Connix that had finally opened his eyes to the epic proportions of his foolishness.

 

Their “date” could’ve been described as just short of a total disaster. Although he understood why others found her attractive, he’d never been interested in the leggy blonde. Getting to know her through her elaborate Secret Santa ploy had opened his eyes to how good she really was inside, how she’d become his best friend in such an organic and effortless manner.

 

“I can’t believe it took us this long to do this” she said in a bubbly tone, when he pulled out the chair next to her at the bar.

 

“I know. I’ve been meaning to ask sooner, but I thought drinks after the party and the Secret Santa reveal would’ve been more appropriate.”

 

“Ok? Weird. But all the same I’m happy we’re doing it,” she shrugged and sipped her martini while describing the plans for the company Christmas party in painful detail.

 

Everything felt off; the conversation wasn’t flowing at all and she seemed more interested in talking about herself than anything else. Very much unlike the person he’d gotten to know through the veil of the computer screen. Maybe that was it — maybe it was the sudden vulnerability resulting from the lack of technological barriers.

 

“Hello? Earth to Ben?” She waved her dainty hand in front of his face, in an attempt to draw his attention.

 

“Sorry, Kay. I’m just a bit distracted. It’s been a long day.”

 

“I bet! But all that work you and Rey have put in really paid off! Just another push with production and you’ll be done. By Friday you’ll be ready to party and forget all about it.”

 

“Honestly, I was thinking about blowing it off. That’s actually part of why I wanted to meet with you; I know how important this Secret Santa is to you and I didn’t want to disappoint you by not showing. You can give me your gift ahead of time.”

 

She was watching him with confusion written all over her face.

 

“Rose Tico is my person for Secret Santa. Who’s yours?”

 

“Rey Ford.”

 

“Oh, she’s so sweet! You should get her a snow globe! She loves them — has at least a dozen of them on her desk.”

 

His vision tunneled. _Of course._ She’d told him as much in her email. All he had to do was look. Because if he’d done so, he would’ve seen everything — her compassion and softness were the same in person as over email.

 

Ben felt a strong sense of dread; Rey and Secret Santa were one and the same. This entire time he’d been so torn between two women. Like an absolute idiot, he’d never put two and two together. He’d never been able to see the forest for the trees and now it might’ve cost him his only chance at happiness.

 

He’d excused himself and left a semi-disgruntled Kaydel at the bar with his half-finished drink and a number of unanswered questions.

 

He’d never intended to confide in Luke, but when he answered the door with his uncle standing there, relaxed and willing to listen, the flood gates opened.

 

Ben told him everything; the complete failure of patching up the tatters of the relationship with his estranged mother, then his many disappointments in his professional and personal life and finally, his utter failure when it came to Rey.

 

In terms of making up for being such a clueless asshole, he had one final Ace up his sleeve.

 

“Rey deserves the job because she earned it. She’s better at it than I am. That’s all that should matter in your decision making.” His uncle nodded with approval, seemingly pleased with the choice.

 

“She’s been a good influence on you kid. Now are you going to just sit here and let her get away?” his uncle smirked, annoying as ever but somehow the expression filled Ben with hope.

 

_Maybe it’s no too late…._

 

“What do you think I should do?” he asked nervously.

 

Luke chuckled a hardy laugh. “Jeez kid! You think I know anything about love? Don’t answer that. I’d say you should sleep on it and talk to her tomorrow. My only advice is to be honest with her, trust her with the truth and let her be a part of the decision. You’re holding on so tight to everything, but you can’t control this. Let go, Ben!”

 

His uncle was right.

 

For the first time in years, Ben embraced him. He was happy to have him on his side.

 

***

 

Rey tasted like heaven, fitting perfectly in his arms like she was made for them. Ben’s mind whirled when he thought about how well they might fit together in other ways. Was it possible they’d been on the same page this entire time? Was it possible that he would get everything he’d ever wanted?

 

“Sweetheart, we need to talk, ok?” he spoke before his primitive brain took over entirely and he devoured her right on her living room floor.

 

She was watching him with her luminous doe eyes, catching her breath in the same manner he had.

 

“Why are you here?” Rey whispered, while she worked her plump bottom lip gently between her teeth.

 

Ben took her delicate face in his hands and gently brushed his thumbs across the apples of her cheeks. “For you. Just you.”

 

He wanted to tell her everything, but seeing himself reflected in the deep hazel pools of her eyes, caused him to freeze. The taste of her kiss lingered on his lips. He knew that he would burn if he didn’t get to finish what she had started.

 

Ben lowered his mouth to hers, where she met him with equal eagerness. Her little pink tongue swept over the seam of his lips. He had no choice but to make room for her. Not that he was about to protest this in any way.

 

Rey’s soft hands carded through his hair as he guided them towards her couch. is own hands were busily exploring her back, the narrow pinch of her waist and her perfectly round bottom which he’d spent too much time obsessing over from a socially acceptable distance.

 

The fact he was allowed to touch her freely, and that she wanted him to, was borderline surreal.

 

Wishes had never come true for Ben and at a certain point he’d stopped hoping, allowing disappointment after disappointment to hollow him, leaving him bitter and cynical. An emotional husk of a man.

 

With her kiss, Rey had breathed life into him. With her friendship, she’d thawed his frozen soul and now he was finally allowed to touch her.

 

It only took them seconds to shuck most of their clothes. He was left with his trousers, as Rey straddled his hips, wearing only her panties and a beaming smile. It was almost enough to steal all his attention.

 

_Almost._

 

Her perky little breasts were in his hands before he even realized it. His body was magnetized to hers, pulling him to her, deepening their already wet kiss. He swiped his tongue over one of the pebbled rosy buds and swiftly sucked it into his mouth, relishing in the soft sounds she was making.  

 

Ben could feel the heat between her legs through his trousers and he couldn’t deny himself any longer; his fingers traced the visibly damp spot on her panties. A ragged breath escaped them both.

 

He dipped a finger under the thin cloth and shuddered when he found her bare, covered in slick and already waiting for him.

 

“Fuck Rey, you’re soaked. For me?”

 

“Only for you Ben,” she whined, her head lolling backwards as his fingers continued their thorough exploration, penetrating her drenched cunt.

 

She was rocking her hips, keeping time with his ministrations. He couldn’t remember ever having been this hard in his entire life He was almost certain that he was going to cum in his pants like a teenager, if she kept it up.

 

Rey moaned loudly, as he stretched her with a second digit, pumping into her. and  Ben was pleased when a fresh stream of her arousal pooled in his palm. She was getting close. He brushed his thumb over her tight bundle of nerves, drawing small circles at a steadily quickening pace. He watched her eyes roll into the back of her head as her orgasm took over her.

 

“I need you inside me Ben,” she panted between tiny ragged breaths.

 

“I don’t...umm...I don’t have anything.” It’s not like this was something he’d anticipated.

 

He held his breath for what seemed like ages, as she mulled over their predicament. “You could pull out? I’m on birth control anyways. It’s not very responsible is it?” she gnawed on her bottom lip.

 

“I haven’t ....in awhile.” he admitted sheepishly.

 

“Same here.”

 

“Fuck it.” Ben huffed between clenched teeth and shucked off his trousers as she lifted herself off him just enough to give him room to move. Blessedly, she allowed him to strip off her panties, the last remaining barrier between their naked bodies.

 

She kissed him again, the wetness of her mouth mirroring the wet heat of her cunt, as she took his throbbing cock in hand and guided him to her entrance.

 

He shut his eyes and kept them closed as she lowered herself onto him, enveloping him in her heat. She took him to the hilt. The velvety tight fit was almost too much, he needed a moment to gather himself, lest he finished before they even got started.

 

He opened his eyes and took in the vision of Rey stuffed full of him. His gaze followed a drop of sweat down the expanse of her flawless form to the place where her body engulfed his where he was hypnotized. If this was his last day on Earth, he would die a happy man.

 

Rey set a steady rhythm, her little hips swayed as she brought herself closer to the edge once more. The pads of his fingers found their way back to her clit, giving her the added pressure she needed. Her pretty face was contorting in a mask of pure pleasure as she finally let go.

 

He was drunk on the sight of her thoroughly debauched and satiated. The lewd noise that their joined bodies were making, as she fucked herself thoroughly on him, bringing him to the brink.

 

With the last shred of will power, he pulled himself out of her, a feral growl leaving his throat as he came, covering her taut belly with ribbons of his spend.

 

“Well that escalated quickly” she giggled into his chest. They laid back on her couch, wrapped in her blanket and basking in their afterglow.

 

“I’m glad it did. That was _not_ what I expected when I got here.”

 

“Why _did_ you come here?” She asked, her head lifted only enough for her eyes to lock on him.

 

_No more lies._

 

“I was an idiot. I came here because I was desperate. I fucked up. That’s not new. But losing you, that’s not something I could just let happen.”

 

“Luke was here.”

 

_Of course he was. He can’t help himself._

 

 _“_ He told me what you did. How you dropped out of the race for the position. How you gave up your legacy. Why?”

 

Ben cleared his throat and propped himself up on his elbows behind him, lifting her and nestling her in his lap. “I didn’t deserve it. You did all the work. Everyone in the office adores you and you’re just...better.”

 

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. _Shit!_

 

“What is it, sweetheart? Did I say something wrong?”

 

“No. Quite the opposite actually. No one has ever put me first like this before. No one has ever given up so much for so little. I can never make it up to you.”

 

“There’s nothing to make up.” He bit the inside of his cheek and puffed out a stressful breath. “But I have to tell you the truth. I know you’re my Secret Santa. And I am _so_ happy because -” he cleared his throat again, his mouth feeling suddenly uncomfortably dry, “well, honestly because I felt such a powerful connection with you online and in person. But I thought you were two different people and it was making me crazy with guilt and confusion.”

 

Her eyes widened with understanding “You thought it was Kaydel?”

 

“I did. That’s why I asked her for a drink, so I could come clean with her and make sure we were on the same page.”

 

“Oh! I thought...well it doesn’t matter what I thought. I’m really glad I was wrong.”

 

“Rey, I need to be honest with you. I feel like I owe it to myself. I’ve never felt this way about another person. Ever. You’re so good. So talented. So fucking gorgeous! I feel like I melt when you’re around me and I have no control over any of it. And I don’t hate it.”

 

He laughed nervously “ I hope it doesn’t come off like I’m a total creep.”

 

She smiled brightly, as he wiped the tears streaming down her face and kissed again, cradling her to his chest. This time was softer, leaving him no room to second guess himself - she felt it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter guys!!!!!! thank you all so much for reading and supporting me, I love you all so much!


	11. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things come to an end ❤️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my wonderful beta SageMcMae for making this chapter absolutely lovely! Your support has been incredible my lovely friend. 
> 
> And thank you Newerconstellations for being my early beta and sounding board for this story!
> 
> You my lovely readers! thank you so much for your time and your kind words for this little story and I hope you enjoy the last chapter.

 

Rey watched the snowflakes’ gentle dance through her open bedroom curtains for a few moments before her gaze fell back on Ben’s sleeping form. She had already spent at least three quarters of the last hour studying him. 

_ Ben Solo is sleeping in my bed!  _

She bit her lip hard enough to keep from squeaking out loud. They’d spent the entire rest of the day and a significant part of the night awake. 

Talking. Fucking. Eating Christmas baking. 

It was heaven. 

“Staring is rude you know?” He stirred and spoke softly, without fully opening his eyes. 

“So is taking up the entire bed, Solo, but you don’t hear me complaining!”

He huffed with mock indignation and with a quick motion managed to flip her over. He laid on top of her but most of his weight was supported by his forearms. Ben’s eyes were dark. His entire sleepy demeanour instantly changed; his nostrils flared, his lips were parted and she melted under his intense gaze. 

The delicious weight of him between her legs, combined with the heat from his kiss sent vibrations through her entire body. It sang for him. She visibly shuddered under his touch as he trailed soft kisses across her collar bones, down her belly until he reached his destination. Her cunt was throbbing, already wet and urgently needy for him. 

Ben licked along the band of her panties - why she’d even bothered putting them on was beyond her. At this moment, they were a huge barrier between her and what she needed. As if he could read her mind, he hooked his thumbs through the sides of the offending material and yanked them off, leaving her bare to him. 

“Fuck you’re perfect.” he whispered in a low timbre, his words alone making her toes curl. 

His massive hands enveloped her thighs and he spread her legs, leaving her entirely open to him. Ben lowered his mouth to her soaked pussy and devoured her. She watched him lap at her cunt with the hunger of a starved man, mesmerized by the way he seemed to know exactly what she needed and generously giving it to her until she tipped her head back and let go. The ripples of her orgasm continued to reverberate through her entire being as he entered her again, the stretch so utterly delicious it made her whimper. 

He fucked her again. Hard. But she delighted in every movement, every deep punishing thrust filling her and bringing her to another climax before he found his own violent release. 

They ate a light breakfast of pastries, fruit and coffee before heading into the office. Ben drove them. People would talk and gossip, but it didn’t matter. They were together and that was that. 

Ben parked in his designated spot outside the office but she didn’t make a move to leave yet. Instead, she reached inside her bag. Rey pulled out a tiny gift wrapped box and held it out to him. 

“I want to give you your gift. Since you already know it’s me, there’s no reason to bring it to the party.” 

He smiled at her, that smiled that reached his eyes and deepened his dimples. Ben opened it to reveal - “A tie!” he chuckled. 

“That’s what you asked for, Grinch!” she laughed in turn, remembering their first exchange where he had answered her in such a curt and grumpy manner. The silk tie was a festive shade of red and it complimented his dark features perfectly.“Besides, that’s not the only thing you’re getting.” 

She nodded towards the box. His eyes widened with surprize and then recognition as he held up the tickets. “The outdoor Avalanche game! Wow Rey, how did you get these? They’ve been sold out for months.” 

Rey winked at him, feeling sly, “Santa’s lips are sealed.” 

She would need to think of something fabulous to gift Poe for doing her this huge favour. She’d never taken advantage of his position within the National Hockey League before, but he was more than happy to help her out with this. “You said that going to hockey games was your favorite Christmas memory, and I wanted to make this as special as possible. I sort of like you, you know.” 

“Ok but you are  _ way  _ over the fifty dollar spending cap!” he smiled and kissed her gently “Besides, I think this Christmas might be my favorite yet.” 

***

Their day of work was interminable. At least fifteen hours were spent with the production staff and the commercial actors. It was just short of a miracle they were able to pull this off in time.

They were both beyond exhausted and decided it would be best if they slept at their own apartments. If they stayed together, the possibility of a restful night’s sleep was slim. 

He parked in front of her home. Ben kissed her knuckles before reaching inside the glove box and pulling out a little blue velvet box. 

There was no breath left in her body, her chest was heaving and burning with emotion. This was unexpected. 

“Oh, Rey! No, it’s not that!” he laughed a hardy chortle, kissing the side of her still agape mouth. “It’s your Christmas present. In a weird turn of events, I am  _ your  _ Secret Santa.” 

She was relieved. Maybe just a smidge disappointed. But mostly ecstatic.

She cautiously opened the box and welled up with tears as she scrutinized its contents. “This is why you were at the Christmas market that Saturday?” 

“Yes. They were perfect and I loved the way your face lit up when you saw them.”

Her fingers tentatively caressed the delicate snowflake earrings and she smiled, her entire being filled with happiness. 

“I love them! Thank you Ben.”

“I love you.” he spoke into her hair as he held her tightly in his arms. 

“I know.” 

***

The commercial they created premiered at the Christmas party. Ackbar and Luke smiled widely, equally pleased with the final product. 

_ A little boy watches though a frosty window as his father shovels piles of fluffy snow. He wants to help, but he is too little and there is too much snow. There is a calendar on the wall behind him that shows one more uncrossed day until Christmas. Suddenly, the little boy’s face lights up and he scurries to search for something. He finds his father’s phone - an Empire phone - and types up a quick message before he runs back upstairs and tucks himself into bed filled with self satisfaction.  _

_ Christmas morning comes and there is one large present left under the tree. The dad reads the card - “For Dad. With love. Santa.” The tears into the package to find a brand new snowblower. He looks at his son and at his husband with thanks but neither admits to anything.  _

_ Later, as the sun sets and the little family snuggles on their couch in front of their Christmas tree, the man checks his phone. In his sent folder he finds the message sent by his son to an address he doesn’t recognize but it makes him smile:  _ [ _ Secret.Santa@Empire.com _ ](mailto:Secret.Santa@Empire.com) _ . The content of the email brings the man to tears, as he reads his son’s sweet words asking that his own Christmas wish be forgone. In lieu of toys, the little man asked that his father be spared the back breaking hours of work outside and have more time for him at Christmas.  _

_ He kisses his son, who has fallen asleep in his other dad’s embrace, and smiles through his happy tears. The picture fades away and splashed on the screen in festive letters is “Empire Cellular - the Heart of Christmas”  _

The entire room was dead silent for a fraction of a second and then, as if on cue, they erupted simultaneously in a  roaring cheer. Rose and Phasma were holding hands and tiny tears were streaming down Amilyn Holdo’s cheeks, smearing her pristine make up. 

“Look around sweetheart, this is all for you.” Ben leaned in to whispered in her ear.  His hand placed gentle pressure on the small of her back nudging her forward, cradling the roundness of her bottom for a fleeting moment. 

The applause seemed to last forever, before Luke Skywalker stepped in front of the large 

TV screen, with a champagne glass in hand and a smile from ear to ear. “Everyone, if i could have just a moment of your time, I have an important announcement. I’ve decided it is my time to retire, but have no fear! I am leaving you all in the care of the most trusting hands I could’ve hoped for. Without further ado, please give it up for the new Marketing Directors - Rey Ford and Ben Solo!”

Ben’s expression was a mix of confusion, awe and unbridled happiness. 

“You two make a fantastic team! Look at what you created in just a matter of days! You both have exceptional qualities. Rey, you are warm, loving and have the ability to anticipate a person’s needs before they even realize their desires for themselves.” His words warmed her and filled her with pride. 

“And you nephew! You are passionate, driven and a born leader. I thought this was going to be a tough decision. But seeing the way you worked together, the way you brought out eachothers best qualities and balanced out the few weaknesses you had, really impressed me.”

Ben glanced at the floor, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink as he graciously accepted the praise from his uncle. 

“But seeing you together, as a couple! Well, that warms my cold dark heart.” he chuckled mischievously. “I’m not going to take full credit for it, although I must admit that setting you up as each other's Secret Santa has been one of my best ideas to date!”

“You what?” Ben asked incredulously, although there was no annoyance in his voice. 

_ What a bloody medler!  _

“I had help!” He winked with a glance in Rose’s direction.

“How did you do that?” Rey had to know, the curiosity was getting the best of her.

“Easy! By the time your turn came, the only names in the stocking were Rey and Ben. The odds were on my side.”

“Why though?” Ben asked.

“I needed you guys to learn how to work together. I needed you, Rey, to stop being so god damn nice and fight for what’s yours. And I needed you, nephew, to realize what you are worth on your own, not as a part of the family legacy.”

The man was good, Rey had to give him that. Crafty and a bit manipulative sure, but in the end their very own Christmas Cupid. She embraced him warmly and Ben offered him a handshake. 

_ Baby steps _ .

“Now go, enjoy! You guys should celebrate!” 

Ben and Rey were more than happy to oblige, filling their drinks and graciously accepting all the kudos from their friends and coworkers. 

Rey didn’t recognize Rose’s date; he was a tall red headed man, handsome and utterly smitten with her friend judging by his body language. Her feisty friend walked over and clinked Rey’s glass with hers. “I can’t believe you were in on this entire Santa mess this whole time and didn’t say anything.” Rey chided her friend, who knew better than to trust her words. Giggles erupted as the two women hugged. 

“So who is that young man you’ve brought with you?” she asked curiously.

Rose beamed at her “Oh my dear, that tall slice of ginger cream is my Armie, the one I wanted to set you up with.”

“The crazy cat man?” 

“He’s not a crazy cat man. I mean, yes. He does have one cat that he’s almost obsessed with. But that’s not such a bad thing. He’s quite lovely actually. I’m really glad I followed your advice. Sarcasm or not!” 

Rey hugged her friend again, relishing in this moment as everyone she cared for glowed with happiness and cheer. 

She spotted Ben across the room, looking positively smoldering in his sharp suit, wearing the red tie she’d given him. He smirked at her and winked before returning to his own conversation. 

_ Best. Christmas. Ever. _

_ *** _

Their first Christmas as a couple they spent mostly tangled up in her sheets, basking in the light of new love. 

The second Christmas they spent in the new house they bought together, surrounded by their friends and family. Ben and his mother worked on their relationship and had reached a point where they were once again spending time with one another. He’d used the tickets Rey gifted him to take his mother to the hockey game, the first step towards mending their family.

It wasn’t perfect yet, not by a long shot. There had been so much hurt between them, so many years of bitter, sullen silences. But the love was there. And that was what really mattered. 

“There is one more present under the tree for you sweetheart.” Ben drew her attention, while she was explaining to Hux and Rose why being Oakland Raiders fans in Denver was a travesty borderlining treason. 

“We’re not done yet.” She growled to her friends, as she stood and approached Ben. 

“Rey. You’ve made every day for the past year feel like Christmas. I mean, fuck. You’ve made Christmas feel like Christmas.” He seemed nervous, as he carded his fingers through his hair, biting the inside of his cheek in that adorable way he always did when he was on edge. 

“You know I’m fucking horrific with feelings and shit.” She giggled, waiting for him to finish his thought. She gazed up at him lovingly even as she heard Luke and Leia sniggering off to the side. 

“What I’m trying to say is…” 

“Auntie Rey! Is Ben going to be my uncle, did you say  _ yes?”  _ Bebe burst in the room, to the immense chagrin of his fathers, who had clearly lost all semblance of control over the little trouble maker. 

Rey didn’t hear her brother and Poe scolding him, because all she could hear were the words. She didn’t see Maz beam as she perched herself up on Leia’s chair handle. Her vision was blurred, fat tears of joy washed her face. 

She only felt Ben slide the ring on her finger, as she frantically nodded her answer and their family cheered. 

“I love you Ben Solo.” She told her fiance as he swept her up in his arms and kissed her feverishly. “But just so you know, trusting a six year old with your deep dark secrets is not a a good strategy to keep said secrets.”

Ben chuckled warmly. “Fair. But he’s been my little partner in crime for so long, I couldn’t leave him out of this.” 

Rey watched the snow fall outside the window as Ben held her tight.

**_Maybe this is the best Christmas ever._ **

 

 

 

Thank you @[constellationsinmytea](https://constellationsinmytea.tumblr.com/post/182533080240/santa-baby-chapter-7-sketch-request-for) for this exquisite art work💕

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first WIP I have completed! I’m feeling very proud and happy with this and I’m really overwhelmed about the reception this little story has gotten. For you who follow Bears, I will have an update later this week!  
> Thank you so much again for reading commenting and being wonderful!  
> Love you guys💝


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